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Coney Island: 1905
... affected. - Dave] Couney on Coney "Growing Up On Long Island" is being presented at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook until the fall. Included is the story of Dr. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:03pm -

Luna Park at Coney Island circa 1905. Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. Tonight only: "Infant incubators with living infants." View full size. EtherealThis is such a good shot; long exposure with unearthly looking lights. Ric Burns did a superb documentary on Coney, the incubators were quite an attraction. Infant incubatorsWere they space-age incubators designed to make super-babies? Or just run-of-the-mill babies for people who had never had one of their own? Coney PreemiesAnd Next to the Bearded Lady, Premature Babies (NYT) The babies were lined up under heaters and they breathed filtered air. Few of them weighed more than three pounds. They shared the Boardwalk there on Coney Island with Violetta the Armless Legless Wonder, Princess WeeWee, Ajax the Sword-Swallower and all the rest. From 1903 until the early 1940's, premature infants in incubators were part of the carnival. It cost a quarter to see the babies, and people came again and again, to coo and to gasp and say look how small, look how small. There were twins, even, George and Norma Johnson, born the day before Independence Day in 1937. They had four and a half pounds between them, appearing in the world a month too soon because Dorothy Johnson stepped off a curb wrong and went into labor. All those quarters bought a big house at Sea Gate for Dr. Martin A. Couney, the man who put the Coney Island babies on display. He died broken and forgotten in 1950 at 80 years old. The doctor was shunned as an unseemly showman in his time, even as he was credited with popularizing incubators and saving thousands of babies. History did not know what to do; he was inspired and single-minded, distasteful and heroic, ultimately confounding. More here. Infants in IncubatorsSounds like something out of a Tom Waits song -- you know, along with Horse-Faced Ethel and the girl with the tattooed tear. Did you have fun at Coney Island?"Yeah, I spent all night checking out the babes." Medical HistoryThe incubators were extremely important in drawing attention to premature infants - and in raising money to advance the research. Countless babies were saved by the facilities at Coney Island, and countless more saved afterward thanks to the research and effort Dr. Couney began. As distasteful as putting infants on display may seem, I humbly bow to his memory. If he hadn`t taken the first steps, medicine may not have gotten up to the level it is today in that field. And my son probably wouldn`t be running around healthy after having been born at 14 ounces. Coney's CouneyThe Coney Island History Project inducted Dr. Couney into the Coney Island Hall of Fame. "By 1939, he had treated more than 8,000 babies and saved the lives of 6,500. One of them was his daughter, who had weighed less than three pounds at birth. Couney operated under constant criticism and numerous attempts to shut down his exhibit, which many considered to be "against maternal nature." But Couney persisted and provided medical care for the children of parents otherwise unable to afford it. By the time his Luna Park exhibit closed in 1943, Couney's methods were being used in mainstream hospitals." More here. Plus some interviews with Couney's "incubator babies" and their relatives. Fascinating!I never realized that the technology that saved my twin boys' lives was pioneered in an amusement park. It would never fly today but thank goodness it did then! Coney PreemiesThis type of showmanship used to be common. As a former preemie (born in the '70's) it's interesting to know what came before. Thank you!I was born premature myself, 10 weeks early, weighing only 2 pounds 6 oz, with a hole in my heart that required surgery - after which I weighed less than a pound. It's thanks to the work of this doctor that I am alive today, and it's sad to read that after developing the technology that would save so many lives, he died forgotten. Man eating chickenI do not intend to be in a world of my own, but these comments reminded me of the time our family was completely bamboozled at the State Fair of Oklahoma by a canvas sign at the sideshow proclaiming "See the enormous LIVE man-eating chicken" (yes, I know - everybody got it but us) and of course we all paid our quarter and went behind the stage to see just that, a very large man sitting at a table eating chicken! Boy, did we learn a valuable lesson. It was just a few years later that the fraudulent labels were prohibited in those shows but numbskulls like us have become much more cautious. Live and learn. Dying by degreesConey Island has been dying by degrees for decades. It lost a lot of the old luster when Luna Park burned down in 1945 and Robert Moses ordered the land rezoned for public housing instead of amusements (Moses apparently hated the area's "tawdry amusements"). In 1953 he had the whole area rezoned for public housing and announced plans to demolish all of the amusements. This was eventually fought and the area between 22nd and the Cyclone were retained as an "amusements only" area. The last of the three great parks, Steeplechase, closed in 1964 and was demolished by Fred Trump (Donald's father) before the site could be given landmark status. He wanted to build more low cost housing but couldn't get the zoning changed. Current efforts by a group called Thor Equities are responsible for the sale and closure of Astroland. Closed.Coney Island seems to be closing for good. It's sad to think of the millions of people who had such fond memories there over the years. I guess it's true- Time eventually catches up with us all. http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20080907/Coney.Island/ [Coney Island, which is a great big actual island, is not closing. Astroland, which is closing, is one of the amusement parks there. Two famous Coney Island attractions, the Cyclone wooden roller coaster and the Wonder Wheel at Deno’s Amusement Park, won't be affected. - Dave] Couney on Coney"Growing Up On Long Island" is being presented at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook until the fall. Included is the story of Dr. Couney and the babies he saved at Coney Island. What a great presentation! Toys, games, child labor, celebrities, interviews, Bannister babies, and more. For info, call 631-751-0066 or email mail@longislandmuseum.org. (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Sports)
Deer Island Light: 1906
... went to Deer Island, but at least one colony was sent to Long Island. "During the winter of 1675-76 some 500 American Indians were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 8:07am -

Circa 1906. "Deer Island Light off Boston." Detroit Publishing. View full size. Caisson lightsCaisson lights like this one were common at the turn of the century, replacing screw-pile structures which were vulnerable to moving ice (though not in the way you might think: what tended to happen was that the ice would ride up the piles and push the house off). Ironically the Sharps Island Light in the Chesapeake Bay leans over about 15 degrees due to the ice of 1977. The "spark plug" structure was easy to prefab and was used on a lot of shore lights too. Lighthouse height was generally a function of the expected range of the light, and harbor lights like this one generally were short. Wow it's shortThat doesn't seem very high off the water for a light house. Hate to be in there during a bad storm. Separated at birth?At the link is a picture of the Plum Beach Light, off Saunderstown, Rhode Island. I guess when you've got a design that works you stick with it. It was finished in 1899, nine years after the Deer Island Light; but unlike that light, it still stands today. The Deer Island Light today sits atop a fiberglass column. http://tinyurl.com/ldkube Funny NameNo deer, no island, but one light. Replaced with...http://home.comcast.net/~debee2/mass/pix/DeerNew.jpg The old lighthouse was demolished in 1982 and replaced with this silly looking thing. First American concentration camp> No deer, no island, but one light. Actually, Deer Island is right next to the light. You can see Deer Island in the photo of the new light. Deer Island has been through a lot over the years. Interestingly, it was the site of probably the first concentration camp in America. From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_Island_%28Massachusetts%29 "Deer Island was so called because deer often swam over from the mainland when chased by the wolves from Boston Neck." "During King Philip's War (also known as Metacomet's War) in the 1670s, it was used as a place of internment. Christian "Praying Indians" were moved from Marlborough and Natick in spite of the efforts of John Eliot, the minister of Roxbury, to prevent it. Most went to Deer Island, but at least one colony was sent to Long Island. "During the winter of 1675-76 some 500 American Indians were held on the island and, without adequate food or shelter, many died. In the middle of the 19th century, the island was the landing point for thousands of refugees from the Irish Potato Famine, many sick and poverty-stricken. "In 1847, a hospital was established to treat incoming immigrants, and during the following two years approximately 4,800 men, women, and children were admitted. Many recovered and went on to new lives, but more than 800 died. "In 1850, an almshouse was built to house paupers. It became the Suffolk County jail and is mentioned in Sylvia Plath's poem 'Point Shirley.'" It's wide.Looks like it's about 70-100 ft high, judging from the lifeboats. Lighthouse Distaster-1851Your readers may be interested in the dramatic history of the Minot's Ledge Lighthouse located in the same general area .... especially you folks who understand the power of the sea. This is a good place to start: http://lighthouse.cc/minots/history.html Today it is known as the I Love You Lighthouse because it blinks with a 1-4-3 progression. Helen Keller?I like this link, great stuff. But I find it amusing how "Helen Keller" describes how lovely the sunset was to look at, since she was famously blind and deaf. Sometimes they stick with what works.Sort of similar to this one. http://www.eastendlighthouses.org/oPoint.htm I had the pleasure of coming in very close contact with it everyday while working on Plum Island for a couple of years. Minot's Light DedicationI found it interesting that Edward Everett spoke at the official dedication of the new and improved lighthouse. Odd that Edward Everett isn't a household name as he also gave the official Gettysburg Address some five years later. After speaking his 13,607 words over two hours in the November sunshine; the other guy who was invited as an afterthought got up and delivered the "few appropriate remarks" as he was asked to do. Similar to Thimble Shoals LighthouseThe design is similar tot he Thimble Shoals and Newport News Middle Ground Lighthouses in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thimble_Shoal_Light http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_News_Middle_Ground_Light They were all built around the same time. Helen KellerI too was baffled by this so I questioned the Lighthouse Historian and his answer follows: Hi Rip, Helen Keller often wrote as if she could see and hear the world around her. It seems odd, but it might make more sense if you read this article: http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/keller01.html My guess, in the paragraph about Minot's Light, is that she based her description mostly on the descriptions of those around her. Best, Jeremy D'Entremont (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Boston)
Mid-Island Plaza: 1957
... "Urbanism -- USA. Mid-Island Plaza and parking lot in Long Island, New York." 35mm color transparency, Paul Rudolph Archive, Library ... Stern Bros got the Jersey side while Gertz expanded on Long island - but they all became Sterns eventually. The store shown in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2024 - 1:20pm -

Circa 1956-57. "Urbanism -- USA. Mid-Island Plaza and parking lot in Long Island, New York." 35mm color transparency, Paul Rudolph Archive, Library of Congress. View full size. 1957 Ford Interestingly, I see only one 1957 auto. The black Ford second from very right of the picture. [You missed the other one! - Dave] No store is an islandBut it can be confined to one. Started as a stationery store in Queens during the Depression, Gertz grew - bigly - at it original location before joining the rush to the suburbs in the 50's. It was one of two Allied Stores divisions in the NYC area - Stern Bros got the Jersey side while Gertz expanded on Long island - but they all became Sterns eventually. The store shown in the main pic ended its life as a macy*s - in what was then known as Broadway Commons - in 2020. DullsvilleCar collectors and nostalgia buffs like to think of 1950s automobiles as the stuff of glamour and youthful dreams. But, as this photo attests (with the exception of the 1955 Chevy and '53 Mercury hardtops as well as the red '54 Chevy convertible), most of them were, withal, pretty dull. That's my hometown!Hicksville, New York. I used to shop at Gertz all the time with my mom. It used to be an outdoor shopping plaza until they finally covered it. it was kind of interesting, all the stores retained their old exteriors. Later on, I worked there at Consumers Dist for a few years. It's seen many highs and lows. She's a fighterMid-Island Plaza has an interesting history. Mid-Island opened in 1956, on the site of a former boys' orphanage and a dairy and vegetable farm. It cost $40 million and was built to accommodate more than 40,000 shoppers daily. That's a lot of shopping. Beneath the mall was a nearly mile long truck tunnel. In 1957 the tunnel was designated a Civil Defense operational headquarters, providing emergency accommodations for over 9,000 people. Those were scary times. Mid-Island was enclosed in 1968, renamed Broadway Mall in 1989, renovated between 1987 and 1991, and completely redeveloped in 1995. Decline set in as we entered the new millennium. As referenced by Notcom, Gertz eventually became Macy's, and closed in 2020. JCPenney opened in 1999 and closed in 2003. I read somewhere Penney's thought online shopping was a passing fad and doubled down on bricks and mortar. But Broadway Mall is still there, which is a lot more than you can say about a lot of other malls. Jericho!We lived just a few miles from Mid-Island Plaza from about 1955 thru 1960 when we moved to New Jersey. My mother didn't drive at that time so we sometimes took a cab there to shop during the week. I don't remember much about the mall but those cab rides!! edit: If you car spotters spy a '56 Studebaker in the lot it may very well be ours. My father loved that thing. Maybe prosaic, but Identifiable!Maybe mostly prosaic daily drivers, but they are nevertheless distinctive. I count 18 identifiable cars and I am able to ID the make (and usually the year) of 16 of them. And yes Dave, two 1957 Fords. [I'm driving that '54 Hudson. - Dave] So I DidA '57 Custom 300. Proust's MadeleineLike the French dude's cookie, this picture brings back a wealth of memories to me. I grew up less than a mile away, and I walked there often in my middle and high school years. Gertz had a kids' club called the Pie Club, which gave you a book every year on your birthday, and they would sponsor a movie for members in the mall theater every few months, with the highlight being a pie-eating contest. One show featured a visit by Carl Yastrzemski, a Boston Red Sox Player who had grown up on Long Island. And the food! Maybe once a year, we'd get a Sicilian pie from Pizza D'Amore. (Our go-to pizza place was Dante's on Woodbury Road.) After Sunday Mass, we'd go to Mid-Island Bakery for crisp crusted Kaiser rolls and seeded rye. If I hadn't kicked the pew in front of us, my mom bought me a Black & White cookie. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Stores & Markets)
Long Island Luxe: 1952
... residence at Lattingtown Harbor Estates, Locust Valley, Long Island, New York." Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. Not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2013 - 10:42am -

April 10, 1952. "Jose L. Sert, residence at Lattingtown Harbor Estates, Locust Valley, Long Island, New York." Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. Not for real lifeI guess this room has a certain elegant charm, but it just looks so bereft of comfort and practicality. Even the fruit is purely decorative, as evidenced by that rotting banana. LampEverything about the lamp says photo equipment: photoflood reflector, stand, inline on/off switch. Totally Angular DudeThe only thing that looks inviting in the whole room is the bottle of Chianti. History being made hereHow fortunate for us the photographer was present for this first known instance of someone actually reading a coffee table book. Cool, but --The man looks a bit uncomfortable. Dream HomeThat's my kind of place! Sadly, I'm too much of a surface person to ever live in such minimalist splendor. Calder Mobile?Is that a Alexander Calder Mobile in the upper right corner? If so, it would be worth a ton of money today. IckThe uncomfortable seating - check. The abstract "art" - check. Textured, sculpted, layered floor coverings - check. Hanging mobile - check. Fifties' interiors sometimes are so bereft of warmth. The only worse decade was the 70's. P.S. - It also just occurred to me, that's a HI-FI tuner...only one set of speakers! [You've unwittingly aggravated a tterrace pet peeve, one that dates back to introduction of stereophonic LP records and the dual-inventory system it required for a few years. The new-fangled ones had "STEREO" in big letters across the top of the album covers, whereas their monophonic "standard" equivalents had no such prominent designation, though they often continued to promote the last big recording technological advance by maintaining their "High Fidelity" markings. Thus, in the public mind, "High Fidelity" and "Hi-Fi" came to mean "not-stereo," or in other words, monophonic. Which it doesn't, of course; a recording can be both high fidelity, i.e., having a wide frequency range, low distortion, etc., and also stereophonic, i.e., with left and right channels. Phew. -tterrace] For those who love- the waiting room look. Dig the Hi-Fi!I would love to live there. Among other things: the hi-fi (the box at the far and, with the knobs) has a hinged top. The lid swings up and back, revealing, I bet, a turntable, or even cooler, a big Grundig reel-to-reel tape player. I wonder about the lighting, though. The only visible light fixture is the big upward-pointing thing, which doesn't appear to be turned on. But there are no shadows. Are there huge soft-lights being used by the photographer? Or is it just lots of windows, facing north, off to the right? Classic Milan styleLooks to be straight out of Domus magazine. Lady's slippersHopefully, they're next to her on the rug, so she doesn't need to walk barefoot on that very uncomfortable-looking herringbone brick floor. A Built-in RadioBuilding a radio chassis into a built-in piece of furniture such as shown here was apparently a popular practice for interior decorators at this time. The home magazines regularly featured such installations. The radio appears to be an E. H. Scott model 510, which would have been a newly introduced model when this photo was taken . E. H. Scott made some of the finest radios of the 1930s, but he (Earnest Humphrey Scott) left the company in the mid 1940s. The company retained his name, but the quality of the product declined. The model 510 was a relatively unremarkable radio. BTW, E. H. Scott was unrelated to Hi-Fi pioneer H. H. Scott (Hermon Hosmer Scott). Sert got it better next timeJose Luis Sert (1902-1983) became dean of the graduate school of design at Harvard in 1953, not long after he designed this house. The house he built in Cambridge is (in my eyes at least) a marvel of a small courtyard house set in a crowded, but leafy neighborhood. The Cambridge house is definitely in the Modernist tradition, but looks a lot more liveable to me. Sert, being Catalan, had strong Mediterranean influences throughout his buildings. Joan Miro was a buddy of his, and Sert designed a museum for his work. Knotty PineFortunately Knotty Pine was a short-lived fad Don't lean back, buddy- or that shelf will catch you right in the neck. Not a very practical layout. The FloorIt makes me dizzy. Check the mapMedellin, second largest city in Colombia, could there be a connection? [Going by some of the objets visible, the residents appear to be aficionados of native Latin American art. -tterrace] UnhappyFor a brief moment I thought that "Unhappy Hipsters" had gone retro. Ultra-modern fiftiesThere seemed to be a great need in the 1950s to appear ultra-modern, perhaps to escape the depressing 1930s & 40s, even though it often resulted in uncomfortable impractical designs. Chrome and bright colors replaced the drab browns, greens and grays of the war-years. Blonde furniture was everywhere, but a short-lived fad and already very dated by the 1960s. Stereo records weren't introduced until 1957 and stereo radio until 1961 so it's not surprising there are no stereo speakers here. For Mid-Century modern neat freaks onlyThis is the kind of decor that only people who fold their dirty laundry, to put it in the hamper, and iron their bed sheets, can have. My mother would have loved to live in a place like that. She was enough of a neat freak to pull it off. But she never got to because she didn't give birth to another neat freak. She gave birth to me. PedestrianPedestrian is the design. Excellent is the photo by Gottscho, especially since this photo was taken years before digital manipulation. Gottscho was very good. The big map on the wall is a geologic map. The light in front of it probably belongs to Gottscho and was used to brighten up areas of the room in different shots. Caution PedestriansYou could have broken an ankle in spike heels on that floor. Torture furnitureI dislike everything about this room, but most of all that unredeemable furniture. I don't think I've ever seen a more rigid, cold, sterile, repellant and unwelcoming living room and I would not want to "live" in it. Why were these people punishing themselves? Wide open spacesModern architecture... bringing families together. The only item not pictured is the miniature trolley car required to drop Mom & Dad at opposite ends of the couch. Don't lean back, buddyIt's a bit of an optical illusion. The shelf is really the top of the couch seating. It's not sticking out beyond the back of the couch. Museum-likeHomes aren't really homes when they resemble displays in a store. This is too ordered and defined to be 'lived' in. Like pictures from Architectural Digest of homes that don't show any human reality like magazines askew on a table. Before you give up on SertCheck out his later house. For those obsessing over the brick floors, you'll be glad to know the Cambridge house had hardwood floors, so perhaps Sert came to agree with you — or maybe his wife Monxa did. (That's her reclining on the backless sofa.) Those who detest the sofas in toto, however, will probably snort to notice them in his later house. So I guess the family liked them? Currently, the house is owned by a Harvard historian of science, but you can see what it looks like here. Worth a detour, as they say, if you find yourself in the Cambridge area. Although I have to say, heaven help you with the one-way streets in this part of town. But it's not far from Julia Child's house, if that's a draw. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Forest Brook: 1956
... 8, 1956. "Forest Brook Elementary School, Hauppauge, Long Island. Classroom and teacher." For those of a certain demographic, this ... Ol' '56 I was in third grade in Hempstead, Long Island then. Ike was president and the world 'champeen' Brooklyn Dodgers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2013 - 7:14am -

November 8, 1956. "Forest Brook Elementary School, Hauppauge, Long Island. Classroom and teacher." For those of a certain demographic, this may strike a chord. Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. We never did that.I grew up in the suburbs around Akron, Ohio, and we never had a bomb drill or duck-and-cover drill ever. All of my peers that grew up in other places had those drills, which has led me to a couple of possible theories. One, that we had some sort of pacifists in our local administration that refused to take part in the Cold War(unlikely). Or two, that we were so close to potential industrial targets that there was simply no point in hoping for survival... Better to go out in the first flash. [Never had them in my grade school years 1952-1960 in Larkspur, California, either, nor was I aware at the time that they were going on anywhere. -tterrace] Lighting fixturesWe had very similar fixtures in my Elementary School about ten years after this, ours had a large bulb with the bottom painted silver sticking through the center though. They were probably ancient even in 1966. X marks the spotI'm not sure if it looked that way in 1956, but Forest Brook today has a strange shape, what you might get if Picasso or Dali had been asked to draw the letter X. Hauppague today is a densely populated community, home to most of Suffolk County's government (though Riverhead is the actual county seat) and a huge industrial park, but back in 1956 it was on the frontier of suburbanization. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the students in this picture were the children of farmers. You will not leave this house dressed like thatIt would be three years before I entered first grade about 20 miles west of Hauppauge. The New York City Board of Education had a much less relaxed dress code. Boys from first grade on had to wear ties. Jeans and sneakers were not permitted. On school assembly day everyone was required to wear a white shirt or blouse and the boys had to wear red ties. Of course by the time we were graduating from high school there were still strict dress standards, but they only applied to the teachers. Smelementary SchoolThose wooden desks were washed and cleaned before classes three months ago, and the floors are waxed weekly. All the girls are in skirts or dresses, and the boys are well groomed and always polite. After all, no one wants to get called down to the school office! Plus, there's a great lineup of cars out the window, in case a little daydreaming is in order, but only for a few seconds at a time. By the way, you can smell today's newfangled hot lunch almost ready to serve, down the hall. Let there be photonsMy elementary school (Horace Mann in Burbank, Calif.) had the same light fixtures, although we had four to a room. Each contained one ≈500 watt bulb; the bottom of the bulb was obscured by a silver coating. When a bulb was nearing the end of its service life, it would usually emit a high-pitched squeal. The teacher would then cycle the light switch off and on several times, killing the bulb and throttling the distracting squeal. Reading MaterialMost of the children have notebooks, many children seem to have the Spell and Write workbook, and the young man in the lower left (just behind the girl in the foreground) has the Air Raid Instruction booklet on his desk. My First Year of School1956 was my first year of school in Houston. Would have loved to have been able to wear blue jeans and shirt tails out but HISD rules at the time (and almost all the way through my HS years) said no blue jeans, no t-shirts, no shirt tails out for boys and skirts/dresses only for girls. Hard to believe especially since the schools weren't air conditioned in HISD except for offices and a few other classrooms (science for one)until after I graduated in 1968. No duck and cover drills for us until the Cuban missile crisis when we were told Houston would be a first strike target due the refineries throughout the Houston area. We had an air raid siren right next to the window in my 5th grade class that went off each Friday at noon. I also thought to myself that if the Russians were smart they would attack at noon on Friday! Star pupils or problem children?Teacher has all that space in front of the classroom for her desk but it's right up close to those pupils at the far end of the classroom. Even with the photographer present, the kids appear to be gazing out the window. Maybe she needed to be that close to keep their attention for any length of time. I wonder if modern medicine is overused in favor of such simple solutions. Maybe I'll send the first grade picture (1960) from my Catholic school in New Jersey. It's a bright, clean classroom like the one shown here but it's packed tight with baby boomers, all in navy blue and white uniforms, with Sister in her black and white habit up front. 1956 RebelAlright, who's the non-conformist on staff who just had to park facing the wrong way? Sturdy Desks and the "Good Old Days"Those sturdy desks are perfect for the inevitable "Flash Drills" of the era, in which the principal would come into the room unannounced and write "FLASH" on the blackboard, causing all of us students to "duck and cover" to avoid instant nuclear incineration. I'm not sure how much good it would have done in a real attack, but it was the only tool in the drawer. Also, I'm surprised the windows don't have the standard heavy blackout curtains, which were handy not only for viewing nmovies but to keep enemy bombers from spotting stray lights at night. And a decade laterI started public school a decade later, in a building constructed in 1961. And it was exactly like this, light fixtures, desks, and all. Most of the teachers were young then (and exactly one man, who I got in fifth grade) but I started out with Mrs. Lord, the white-haired wife of the principal, who could have stepped out of any 1910 school administrator picture with naught more than a change of collar. However in my day the fellow with the open shirt front there would have been made to neaten himself up. Beautiful Schools but the Russians are coming!I began my second semester of kindergarden in January of 1953 in newly built grade school on the west side of Detroit. We immediately began having fire and air raid drills. For air raids we descended into the basement of the school which was actually the main tunnel of the air circulation system. Some times when we went down the stairs during a drill, the big fan would still be rotating after being shut down. We had to sit along the walls and cover our heads. To condition us further the lights would be turned off for a short period of time. I switched to a newly built parochial grade school for the fourth grade on. No basement, so we sat in the main hallway between the class rooms and covered our heads. Both schools had class rooms identical to Forest Brook. To add to the tension, the nearby Rouge Park had a Nike missile battery. The missiles were normally hidden behind a high earth berm, but they were visible when frequently pointed skyward for testing. The AM radio frequencies of 640 and 1240 were permanently etched into our memory. DrillsI'm exactly the right age for these memories, but except for a few very early instances that were termed "air raid," all our drills were of the fire kind. No duck, no cover - and this just north of San Francisco, with its own battery of Nike missiles by the Golden Gate - in plain view if you took a spin along the Marin Headlands. We all just marched outside. The only time we had to put our practice to use was for a 1957 earthquake centered just south of SF but sharp enough in Larkspur to get us squealing in our fifth grade classroom before the alarm sounded and we made our orderly exit. "Silver Tooth"I was in the ninth grade in fall of 56. All of the new schools I attended in the late 40's and 50's had those windows and the 9 inch floor tiles. I believe the teacher's desk was in that position only for this pic. One memory came to me in a flash when I saw the tiles. In the 4th grade on the last day of school as I was swinging between desks I did a face plant on the green floor tiles. The impact broke off two of my front teeth below the nerves and the family dentist fixed them with silver caps that stayed that way until I turned 21. Blue Jeans?I was in 5th grade at the time, in a far western suburb of Chicago. What I remember was the enormous spending on shiny new schools back then. My mom was a teacher, back when teaching was a respected profession, teachers were proud of what they did for a living and grateful for the $6,000 a year they were paid. That and the rule against blue jeans. Strictly verboten in my school system. They looked "hoo-dy", pronounced with "hoo" as the first syllable, and were a a well known precursor for the dreaded juvenile delinquency during adolescence and a life of crime and depravity later on. Without that rule, thank goodness and a vigilant school board, I probably would have a criminal record by now. Good Ol' '56I was in third grade in Hempstead, Long Island then. Ike was president and the world 'champeen' Brooklyn Dodgers would win another pennant only to lose once more to the Yanks. Anybody who wore dungarees (as jeans were called then) in my school district would have been sent home to change to proper attire and an open shirt would catch you a stiff reprimand. Nobody knew what a school bus was and schools were not in the restaurant business for anybody. There was a lot to like about those days. Fond MemoriesI was in 1st grade at that time and our classroom in suburban Chicago looked very much like this one. Someone mentioned getting called down to the office. There was nothing worse than hearing your name on the PA system to report to the principal. Every kid in school knew you were probably in deep doo doo. As for the non-conformist staff member who backed into his spot, these types have always been around and still are today. They'd rather waste extra time and endure the hassle of backing into a parking spot just so they can pull out with ease at the end of the day. Never understood that logic. The Joys of childhoodI would have been 9 years old when this photo was taken. I was attending "Summer Avenue School" at that time. It was an old three story brick building. We had the kind of desks that bolted to the floor so they couldn't be moved even if you wanted to do so. The seat was actually part of the desk behind you and folded up automatically when you stood up. The top of the desk was hinged at the front so that you could lift it up and put you books and such inside. Oh Yes, they had the obligatory inkwell hole in them as well, but never any ink. Summer Avenue School still stands but is now known as Roberto Clemente Elementary School. The desksStarting I guess in the late 40s that blonde style of wood came very much into vogue for furniture. Notice, they're the first generation of school desk withOUT a hole for an inkwell. We had ball point pens by then, no more dipping a nub into india ink. And no more opportunities for dunking the pigtail of the little girl in front of you into the ink! The furthest cornersAh, those desks. In the later grades of elementary school we ate our lunches in the classroom, and the kid in front of me used to stuff the parts of his lunch he didn’t want into the deepest recesses, behind books and other trash. It got very ripe, and one day the teacher followed her nose to Robert G.’s desk and made him excavate the smelly mess. I will leave the rest to everyone’s imaginations. 4th grade for meDecatur Street elementary. I think the building was probably built at the turn of the last century. And probably the teachers. We had the well worn student desks that you find in the antique shops now for a pretty penny. The one with the ink well and indentation for a pencil with the seat back and foldup seat on the front of your desk. We had 12' ceilings, oiled wood floors that the janitor put sawdust down on daily to use his pushbroom on, kept the dust down. Old School, New SchoolI started the first grade in 1954 in rural Kansas. We were in a building that had been built in 1911 and only housed six grades. The 7th and 8th grades were in the high school. The bathrooms, the lunchroom, and the art room were all in the basement, and we had music in a one-teacher school building that had been moved into town and put behind the school. The 1911 building was probably a horrible firetrap, although there was a metal fire escape on the back from the second floor down. The district built a new school in 1956, and we moved in in February 1957, when I was in the third grade. It looked much like the one in the photo, except that we had metal desks. No dress code--nearly all the boys wore jeans. That 1956 building is still in use, along with the 1923 high school. Of ocurse, they house far fewer kids than they did then. Several years laterI was attending a Catholic school in a much older building further west on Long Island -- still vividly remember our "duck & cover" drills as I was the smart-alack who asked how a wooden desk would keep us from burning to a cinder. As for the cafeteria, no hot lunch then; if you forgot your brown bag (no lunch money; you were not permitted to leave the premises) you might have been lucky enough to be escorted across the street to the convent for a PB&J sandwich. The uniforms were ghastly -- white shirt, dark maroon tie with the school shield on it, and dark grey slacks with black piping down the outside seam. Girls wore a white blouse with a snap tie, grey plaid skirt (that was always rolled up at the waist after leaving the house, and a matching bolero. Once out of sixth grade boys wore a blue plaid tie & girls could wear a -- *gasp* -- blouse of color. Reminds me of another picture here of young girls wearing skirts in the dead of winter; evil little Catholic boys that we were, we'd spend the lunch hour in the schoolyard assaulting the bare-legged victims by snapping rubber-bands on their frozen legs. Not non-conformism. Safety!I've worked at a school for years and even though I'm not much of a rebel, I've always backed into the parking space. The logic is simple: you have to back up when you arrive or when you leave, and it's safer to back *in* to a space when there are few or no children around (an hour or two before school starts) than to back *out* of a space when children are running all around at the end of the school day (of course, one should triple-check either time). I often back into shopping center parking spaces using the same reasoning: if there's no one around when I arrive, it's safer to back up then than later when there might be a lot of people about. I knew a man many years ago who fatally backed over his 4-year-old daughter in their driveway and that tragedy changed my thinking on this permanently. Reminds me of...Sutton Elementary School, southwest Houston, 1971 to 1973. The building was built in the late 50s and had those same big windows, but by that time we had the one piece metal desks with the big opening beneath for your books. Few years laterI was in the first grade in a Catholic school in NYC. We had fire drills but no under the desk kiss your butt goodbye stuff. Nuns ruled the roost in those days. Midget Gestapo agents all in black with a yardstick bigger than them which was used to get you back in line if you misbehaved. I remember the first day of 2nd grade while us kids were waiting for school to open and my mom approached me to wipe my nose and the nun smacked her hand saying "he belongs to us now!" Ah memories... Patty Duke, Ben Gazzara, Gene Hackman were some of the actors who lived in the area, Kips Bay, and might have even attended my school at one time. "Snaggletooth"I can sympathize with jimmylee42. I broke a front tooth in much the same way at my school in the fourth grade. It was the winter of '63-'64. When the weather was exceptionally cold, they would open the gym for the early kids to come inside before classes started. Although the details are vague now, someone said I was tripped by a bully while I was running around. In a family of four siblings my folks couldn't afford to get my missing tooth capped for years. So one of my nicknames throughout grade school was "Snaggletooth"... not one of my fonder memories. I finally got a white tooth cap just before I started senior high after we moved to Florida. I wonder how my Alabama classmates would remember me now? Yes, the Memories!I would have been right in this age range, near as I can tell from looking at the kids. That would have made it my first year out of parochial school, escaped from 4th grade under the rule(r)Sister Rita Jean, she who was Evil Incarnate. Best memory was teacher telling me, "David! Stop moving your desk around. It makes me think we're having an earthqu... Everyone - outside!!" DaveB WonderfulGrade school in Alexandria, Louisiana. Very familiar classrooms, with the good Nun up front to keep [or try to keep] us on the right path. Bayou View SchoolThis reminds me of Mrs Powell's 2nd grade class at Bayou View School in Gulfport, Ms, c.1955. Fast ForwardTwenty years later I attended a school built in the early 1940s. This reminds me of those old classrooms in some respects with the desks all lined up in rows, large windows and undoubtedly a large slate chalkboard just out of view. I notice that the teacher's chair is a sturdy wooden straight back chair - no comfortable office chairs here! Also, only a two drawer filing cabinet? I don't think I've ever seen one that small in a classroom. I teach school now and while this brings back memories (even the light fixtures), it's amazingly different today. Green ThumbThe teacher has quite a spartan setup, but I love the line of flowers along the windowsill! What a lovely touch that would be in a classroom. This was a fun photo and I enjoyed the comments. My parents were born in 1954 and I really like seeing and reading about what that might have been like. I grew up in that town!I didn't go to this school, but grew up in Smithtown--where this school actually was; not Hauppauge. I was in elementary from 1990-1995, when times were much different. As a teacher I love seeing how it was then. Love this photo but makes me sadIf I could push a button and go back in time and be someone someplace in the past, I'd be on my way to being one of the kids in that classroom. This is public school education when it was about education. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner, Kids)
Mall Santa: 1957
... Circa 1956-57. "Urbanism -- USA. Mid-Island Plaza in Long Island, New York." So where's the Cinnabon? 35mm color transparency, Paul ... luring travelers ..." And shoppers. ugh That Long Island haze of the mid-20th century. That's the bluest most skies ever got ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2024 - 1:28pm -

Circa 1956-57. "Urbanism -- USA. Mid-Island Plaza in Long Island, New York." So where's the Cinnabon? 35mm color transparency, Paul Rudolph Archive. View full size. Will-o'-the-Wisp"A Will-o’-the-wisp is a phantom light that hovers in the wilderness, luring travelers ..." And shoppers. ughThat Long Island haze of the mid-20th century. That's the bluest most skies ever got there. Lerner ShopsI was born in 1957 and I remember even as a kid, enjoying window shopping at Lerner's when out with my mom. And I loved it when I was old enough to shop there for cute outfits with my own money in the '70s. The store was founded by Harold Lane along with Samuel Lerner, uncle of lyricist Alan Jay Lerner. Timeless Amazing that this photo is 60+ years old, it looks like it could be today. The lack of period cars and clothes makes it timeless. Santa? Or Satan?That is a horrifying visage. This reminds me --of those long-ago days when you had to actually go places to get stuff. It just needs hornsThat Santa would do much better as Krampus. ArcadeThis early version of the shopping mall – before they were all transformed or built in the covered-over version – makes me think of streets in other countries where they have arcades which provide protection at street level from the weather. It’s pleasant to be outdoors while it’s raining and not need an umbrella. Also, as someone, like JennyPennifer, who was born in 1957, I always twitch when I see that year. [Our photo is a visual representation of the definition of "mall" -- an open, unroofed plaza, lined with buildings or trees on either side. - Dave] Oakridge Shopping Centre: 1959When it opened in Vancouver, B.C., in 1959 Oakridge was not an enclosed mall as it later became. It was anchored by Woodward's Department Store, and was not in an outer suburb. Now the same location is being developed with multiple high-rise residential towers adjacent to a rapid transit station. The 1950s design is remarkably similar to the Long Island mall. Woodward's huge food floor had staff that loaded the groceries into your car for you. Jericho NativeI lived in West Birchwood in the 60's, starting when I was 6 years old. We'd get on our bicycles in the morning and roam around all day. There was a tunnel under the Northern State Parkway that gave us access to the Cantiague Park and Pool. Often we'd then head over to the Plaza to hang out and grab a slice of Sicilian pizza at Pizza D'Amore. There was a merry-go-round in the northeastern part of the plaza. Then home for dinner. Two Other ExamplesThis very much reminds me of Glendale Mall in Indianapolis. The mall had been enclosed when I arrived in late 1981, but it retained the Mid-Century Modern ambiance, along with some quirky amenities such as a fountain with moving parts all made of copper, a chandelier made out of many glass tubes, a 20-foot diameter circle on the Terrazzo floor that had the signs of the zodiac on pedestals around the perimeter containing a daily horoscope, and an indoor sidewalk cafe. Today, the center part of Glendale is gone, and the remaining two structures have been "demallified." (Is that a word?) Before moving to Indy, I lived in Columbus, Ohio. All the 1950s malls had been enclosed except Westland. Even though Westland was on the other side of town from me, I drove clear over there because the enclosed malls (such as my own Northland) were oppressive to me. In the summer of 1981, Westland was enclosed and I stopped going there. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Christmas, Stores & Markets)
Our Lady of Lourdes: 1914
... the Drive for a few years until 1956, then it was off to Long Island to raise our six children. In friendship and love hearing from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2022 - 12:33pm -

        A newly restored version of a Shorpy favorite that has collected three pages of comments since it was first posted in 2007 -- The caption for this one just says "Post Office." Thanks to our commenters we now know that the building with the statue is the Our Lady of Lourdes School at 468 W. 143rd Street in New York circa 1914. 8x10 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size | The school in 2007. Post office?Looks like a Catholic school, actually. This is just a wild-a**ed guess, but St. Jean Baptiste on East 75th? This would coincide with the warehouse cart on the left (sort of). Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic SchoolThis is Our Lady of Lourdes School in New York City on 143rd Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Convent Avenue. The school was built in 1913 in Washington Heights, an exclusively white, upper middle-class neighborhood. It was built and equipped at a total cost of one hundred and forty thousand dollars. Besides classrooms for five hundred pupils, the building contained an auditorium with a stage lavishly equipped for theatrical productions, a gymnasium, a roof-top playground, an assembly room for parish organizations, rooms for classes in cooking and sewing, and offices for the school officials. The associated church (Our Lady of Lourdes) is located directly behind the school on the next block, 142nd Street. Yes...Which is the Post Office? The large building in the center must be a Catholic School, what with a saint on the roof and all. As for the location, I have no clue. Post OfficeWhich building is the Post Office? post officeBuilding with street level entrance and flags would be my likely guess. Today...Google Street View. It's always interesting to see NYC in the early years, and how it's changed. Our Lady of LourdesI attended this school for eight years in the 1950s. The lower grades entered by one door and the higher grades used the other. City College frat houses faced the school. Recess was on the street out front. We didn't have any cooking or sewing classes, no classrooms equipped for that. There wasn't any gym. We weren't allowed to go up on the roof and there wasn't an assembly room. We did have a annual spring play using the stage and we had a Christmas concert. There was a way into the church from the back of the school. The nuns that taught there were called Society of the Holy Child. Father Kline was one of the priests and Mother Mary Edward taught there. A good school, good memories. Johnny PumpThat fire hydrant probably was installed in the late 1880s. Was born and bred in NYC and traversed all five boroughs many many times, but NEVER laid eyes on a johnny pump like that. Every boy who ever grew up in "The City" is instinctively drawn to hop over as many hydrants as possible. However that one is a KILLER. Our Lady of LourdesI attended OLL from 1933 to 1941. The lower grades kindergarten to fourth were taught by the Ursuline Order of Sisters. The upper grades fifth to eighth were taught by the Sisters of the Holy Child. The school was funded and guided by the priests of the adjoining OLL Church. We were there to learn,to pray: no play, no library, no lunch room, no outside activities. It was not an easy life for children of poor families during this Great Depression Era. I often cried and asked God to help me through the day, the year. I know I received a very good education but not a happy one. There were nuns I would have died for, however there were many that should not have been allowed to teach children. The Church and school were founded by Monsignor Thomas McMann. There is a bust of the good priest near the entrance to the upper church. In the 1930s we were allowed on the roof for various activities. The term "very stern " comes to mind. The statue is Our Lady of Lourdes, similar to the statue in the grotto in the lower church on 142nd Street. It was removed a few years ago as it decayed and was ready to fall off the roof. Convent AvenueThis photo faces east, and the townhouses in the background are along the east side of Convent Avenue. All of them still stand, most are in superb condition. This is the finest real estate in Harlem; a house across the street sold for $3.89 million about 18 months ago. Here is a listing for a house a few doors down from the ones seen here: http://tinyurl.com/2396kb Note the terraces on two of the buildings -- those are stunning and almost never seen in New York. Does anyone remember anDoes anyone remember an Irish nun by the name of Sister Gerard? She was one of the Ursula ? nuns at the Our Lady of Lourdes in Manhatten. She emigrated about 1910, so am not sure anyone would remember her... Is there a cemetery associated with Our Lady of Lourdes? Upper and Lower ChurchCan you tell me if the Upper and Grotto Church still exists and do they have mass on Saturdays and Sundays? I lived 2 streets away a long time ago and would like to see the old neighborshood. I have never forgotten the Grotto. It's so unique. Would like to share it with my spouse. Or maybe I can speak with someone in the convent. Are the nuns still there? Thank you. Diana Gosciniak Our Lady of LourdesI also went there in the 1950's. The nuns were very dedicated to teaching. Our religion was the major reason they and all of us were there. The grotto was under the main stairs and confession was held downstairs at 4 pm on Saturday. The children's Mass was at 9 am on Sunday, a High Mass in Latin. The doors of the main church came from old St. Patrick's downtown in Little Italy. The sisters made sure that the majority of 8th grade students got into Catholic high school. A lot of the girls went to Cathedral H.S. and the boys went to Cardinal Hayes. The church was around the corner with a connection to the back of the school. The convent was right next door to the church and the rectory was across the street. Once in a while we were invited to go to the convent on a Saturday to see the nuns. The neighborhood was pretty good, all kind of stores that tolerated all of us kids. It was nice going there for eight years. Fond memories. O.L.L. Upper and lower churchYes, the upper church is still active with most Masses in Spanish. The lower church {the Grotto) is not used. However the statue of the Blessed Mother is still on view. The sisters left about 10 years ago. I visited the school and was told the Church no longer had any say in its operation. When did you attend? I was there from 1933 to 1940. J Woods Theatrical productions?Oh, how I wish I had your recall. However, I did attend O.L.L. from 1933 through 1940. Yes, the stage was used - but with limited equipment. I never saw or played on a rooftop playground. There was no gymnasium. The seats in the auditorium were moved to the side for military drilling by boys from grades 5 to 8 once a week. The girls exercised in a nearby room. The children in the lower grades had no physical training. I don't remember an assembly room for any parish organizations. Family members were not encouraged to come to the school except on Graduation Day or if the student had a serious problem that required a meeting with the principal and/or a parish priest. I must say we all received a very good education and were farther ahead in our studies than the Public School kids. Yours truly and in friendship, Jackie Woods OLL NeighborhoodI lived on Amsterdam Ave for 16 years. Where did you live? When did you attend OLL School? The few friends I had from the old days have passed on. I answered your other message; The Nuns left about 15 years ago. You need to have someone open the lower church to visit there. The Blessed Mother's Statue is still located in the Grotto but masses are no longer read there. Regards and in friendship. Jackie Woods Our Lady of Lourdes, 2008I had a chance to stop by West 143rd street and take a snapshot today. The cornerstone is dated 1912. As you can see, every building shown in the "1914" photograph is extant and all are in excellent condition. There is even a fire hydrant in the same location as the fire hydrant shown in the photo. As for changes — there are trees on the block now, and the cornice has been removed from Our Lady of Lourdes, as has the statue of the saint. And, of course, as with all modern photos taken in New York, it is full of automobiles. (Click to enlarge) The reddish sign on the left side of the street, behind the motorcycle, identifies this block as part of the Hamilton Heights Historical District (Hamilton Grange is only a few blocks away). Today was garbage day, so a distracting pile of trash sits in the foreground, sorry about that. Our Lady of LourdesCentral Harlem, did you attend Our Lady of Lourdes? If so what years? Thanks for the picture Jackie Woods Our Lady of LourdesI attended an Episcopalian school. I contributed that photo because of my joy in Harlem history, not any tie to this school in particular. Last weekend, I found a photograph of this block dating to 1908! All the buildings looked the same except for OLL, which was then an empty lot. Perhaps Team Shorpy can enlighten me -- would it be compliant with copyright law for me to scan and post it? [Is there a copyright notice on it? If it was copyrighted before 1923, the copyright has expired. - Dave] Our Lady of LourdesThank you for your latest information, Central Harlem. Where was your school located? Did you live nearby? I'm 80 years old going on 81 and all I have are my memories (mostly fond). And my memory is outstanding. I was hoping to hear from anyone who attended OLL with me. By the way, the folks on Amsterdam Avenue always envied the folks on Convent Avenue, always a beautiful clean street. (Today we would say "upscale.") Three of my children were born in The Lutheran Hospital of Manhattan on 144th off Convent. I had moved to upper Washington Heights by then but my doctor was still working out of there. Thank you and in friendship, Jackie Woods Our Lady of Lourdes, 1909I had a chance to scan the old photo I found of this block. It dates to 1909, not 1908 as I had first said. Every building seen in this photo remains, though some of the lots on the right-hand side of 143rd street were empty in 1909, including the lot that would house Our Lady of Lourdes three years later. Anticipating the interest of Shorpy's crew of automotive experts, I provide a closeup of that car on Amsterdam Avenue, below. Also, a note to Jackie Woods: we're of different generations. It is good to exchange notes here, but I'm sure we've never met. Our Lady of Lourdes SchoolWhat wonderful memories of days past. I attended OLL from 1943 and graduated in 1951. One of five brothers to do so. You may have known my older brothers, Larry, Dick or Bill. We lived in that apartment building at the end of the street on the OLL side. That was the location of Alexander Hamilton's house, Hamilton Grange. When it was built, it forced the move to its present location behind the church. It will be moved again to the SE corner of Convent and 141st Street. You also mentioned Lutheran Hospital. It wasn't so great for our family. My brother Dick was taken there after being hit by a car. While recovering, he contracted rheumatic fever in the hospital and later died at New York Hospital. We also lived at 310 Convent Avenue because my mother's family, the Healys, lived on 141st Street. If you have any other questions, ask away. I'm still in contact with several classmates and between us, we should be able to answer. "Thanks for the Memories" Bob Phillips OLL graduatesHi, Yes, I do remember a Phillips family. The boys or boy were in a higher grade with one of my brothers. As you can see, I had already left OLL when you started there. I am pleased you have good memories of your early years. Unfortunately, mine are mixed. An incident: a bunch of us, about 12 years old at the time, were fooling around and one of the boys fell out of a tree and broke his arm. We carried him to Lutheran Hospital They wouldn't let us in the front door. Told us to take him to Knickerbocker Hospital near 131st Street, and so we did. Today, I ask why no first aid was administered or an ambulance called. However, I have nothing but good words about the hospital in later years. I was sorry to hear about brother RIP Regards and in friendship, Jackie Woods PS My oldest sister, Ellen, class of 1936 Won scholorship to Holy Child Academy My older brother William (Billy), Class of 1937, won a scholarship to Regis High. MemoriesI graduated from OLL in 1973 and it is so wonderful to see a website with the School and the information that it offers. I too wondered about the Masses in the lower church. The grotto was always so beautiful and special. I have lived in Florida since 1986 and hope to make a trip to NYC just to visit the old school. Thanks again for bringing a smile to my face today. God bless. OLL MemoriesHi. I attended OLL from grades K to 5. I have the most beautiful memories of my childhood there. I loved the nuns. I can't believe how time has gone so fast. If anyone remembers me or remembers Sister Mary Owen or Ms. Valentine or the gym instructor George Izquierdo. I am talking about late 1960's, early 70's. Please contact me. Are the sisters still there? I went to visit Sister Mary Owen a couple of years ago. She wasn't wearing her habit any more. Those were good old days. I was so mischievous, always getting into trouble. Oh my God. I had the best early education there, never will I forget. I love history and I love these pictures that were posted up above, everything looks the same. Thanks! My family still lives up in Washington Heights. Our Lady of Lourdes School and ChurchAnd a HI to you, The good sisters left about ten years ago. You can reach the school online, it has a Web site. The school is no longer under the supervision of the Church. If you look over the rest of this page you will see that I have answered a number of postings that may be of interest to you. "Memories are made of this." In friendship, Jackie Woods OLL AlumniHello OLL'ers Head over to the OLL website www.ourladyoflourdesschool.net There's an alumni page where you can send your information and be put on the mailing list. OLLCould not connect with your e-mail: kbarkley@ourladyoflourdesschool.net Would you please check it. When did you attend OLL? I gave my information previously on bottom of page. Look forward to hearing from you. In friendship, Jackie woods To Jackie WoodsI knew Dennis before the war, and graduated OLL in 1937. My sister Marie graduated in 1936 and received a scholarship to Holy Name. Finding your web site after all these years is a small miracle. I'm sorry to say Marie, such a special person, passed away in 1977. Andrew, a 1943 or 44 graduate, died in 2000. I did not marry till 1985, had a daughter in 86. My wife Alice and I celebrated our daughter Colleen's wedding Nov. 24, 2007. I hope this proves I was not as bad as the sisters believed. They wanted so to see me go that they created the first coed class and skipped me from 6th to 8th grade. Yes we marched on the roof, auditorium, basement and in far away competition. I believe we had a West Point officer, but not certain. I just hope that life was as rewarding to all OLL graduates as I. God bless. John Orlando Wideawake80@verizon.net OLL, late 1950s and early 60sDon't know how I found this website, but so glad that I did. I graduated OLL in June 1961. The nuns are my most vivid memories of the school. The spring and Christmas plays that were held each year. Recess outside during lunchtime. Walking to school each day and spending the few pennies we had to buy candy at the store on Amsterdam Avenue, and the bicycle store there where we rented bikes on Saturday afternoons. Going to confession every Saturday down in the grotto. Checking the Legion of Decency list for movie listings. Learning to sing the Mass in Latin for every Sunday High Mass and, most important, the foundation the nuns gave us for our religion that is still strong to this day. A few years ago, we drove from Jersey up to the old place and convent still looked pretty good. Can someone please explain about not being under the archdiocese any longer. Thanks again. Lutheran HospitalI found this link when looking for the Lutheran Hospital. Very interesting information. I am researching my family history and found out this hospital is where my great grandfather passed away. Thinking that there may be additional information on the records, I searched for the hospital but have not been able to find any recent reference to it. Has the Hospital been closed? Can anybody give me some background information? I will certainly appreciate it, Anne [You might try the Archives search box on the New York Times Web site. Lutheran Hospital of Manhattan, at 343 Convent Avenue, merged with Norwegian Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in 1956 to form Our Saviour's Lutheran Hospital at the Norwegian Hospital facility on 46th Street and Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. It's now called Lutheran Medical Center. - Dave] Lutheran HospitalHello Anne, Yes, I know Lutheran Hospital. My three oldest boys were born there: 1951: 1952: 1954. My brother-in-law's father died there c. 1937. When I last passed by the neighborhood, three years ago, I saw that the hospital had been converted to an assisted living facility. The neighborhood is looking great - real upscale. The brownstones that one could buy in the 1930s for a song are now selling for well over a million dollars. In the 1930s they were empty, thanks to the banks that foreclosed during the Depression. As kids we ran through them and at one time had a clubhouse inside one. In friendship, Jackie Woods Lutheran HospitalThanks you both, Dave and Jackie, for your responses. I will follow the advice and hope to be able to pass soon by the neighborhood. Anne OLL MemoriesHi Henry, I too remember Sister Mary Owen, my brother David Mora had her and she was really strict. We keep in touch with George Izquierdo and he is doing great. Sister Rosemarie passed away. I try to stay in touch with O.L.L. It was really a happy time in my childhood and the happy memories will always be a part of my life. Maxine Mora Lutheran Hospital of ManhattanLooking for pictures of the Hospital. I was born in 1940 in the facility and would like to see what it looked like in that era--anyone have a picture? Dad Was an AlumnusHello Jackie, I am curious to see if you know my father, Frank Corrigan, who was born in 1926, which would make him 82 this August. I think he was in the Class of 1941. I am also curious to see if you have any contact or info on Alfred Pereira or his sister Clara Pereira Mercado. Any help would be appreciated. Stephen Corrigan Please email me when you get a chance, stephenjcorrigan@aol.com. Frank CorriganYes, I knew Frank Corrigan, Class of 1940, not 1941, he was closer to my brother Dennis than me, I was a year younger. Didn't Frank have a younger very pretty sister? I last saw Frank c. 1968 in the upper Washington Heights area where many of the families from OLL had moved to from the 140th streets. I knew Pancho Pereira (the name Alfred does not ring a bell) and Clara, his younger sister. His little brother JoJo was killed in Korea. Pancho had a birthmark: strands of very white hair in the front of his head of very black hair. They were wonderful good people. Pancho was good friends with Jackie Koster, whose sister Barbara married Burl Ives in Hollywood and lived happily everafter. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods eandjwoods50@yahoo.com Vacant Houses in Hamilton HeightsI thought we were the only ones that got into those empty houses. Afternoons we'd go in through a back window to study and do our homework. We didn't break anything, and at our age we always wondered why the houses were vacant. The Depression angle we didn't figure out until later. Tom Calumet and Frank Howe went with me. I understand Frank has died and Tom Calumet left NYC around 1945 to go out west with his parents. I graduated from OLL in 1941, and now live in Hopkins, MN OLL MemoriesI graduated in 1960. There were about 10 of us cousins who graduated between 1955 and 1960. I remember Father Cline, Fr. Malloy, Monsignor Hart, Mother Bonaventure, Mother Dominica and others. Does anyone remember the day the frat boys across the street pushed the dummy out the window during our recess? I can almost taste the corn muffins and egg creams at the soda fountain around the corner on Amsterdam Avenue while "Barbara Ann" played on the jukebox. OLL PhotoI have a great a picture of my Confirmation Day. I'm in full OLL uniform dated c. May 1935. How can I send it to the OLL Shorpy site? Yours truly, Ed Woods [Click the links under "Become a member, contribute photos." - Dave] Frat boys 0, Mother Mary Edward 10I sure do remember that day. Mother Mary Edward marched over and blasted them. Also the candy store around the corner used to sell two-cent pumpkin seeds out of a little red box. Does anyone remember the rumor going around that the Grotto Chapel was haunted? I remember walking home with "Little Star" playing on the transistor radio. The OLL GrottoI remember serving at what was called the Workmen's Mass in the Grotto in the 1930s - 6 o'clock in the morning! I know the Grotto is not used any more (I visited there in December 2007). As to the candy store on the corner of 143rd and Amsterdam, it was a very busy place: candy, pen nibs (no fountain pens), book covers etc. One day the owner came to school and told Sister Casmere, the principal, that we were disorderly and she must tell the students to behave when shopping in his store. Her solution was to tell the entire student body that they were not allowed to shop there. In a day or so, the man was back begging forgiveness and asked to plaese allow the children to return to his store. The kids were his main business. HelloHi Maxine How are you? Thank you for responding to me. It was very nice to hear from you. Sorry to hear about Sister Rosemary, but I don't remember her was she the pricipal of the school. I do remember Mr. Izquierdo he was the gym instructor with another man don't recall his name I believe he became principal of the school later on. Oh! now I remember his name was Mr. White I believe. God trying to recall, it is getting a little difficult now a days but I like it. It brings me back in time. How time have changed it was so innocent back than not like now. Looking back in time, makes me feel like I grew up to fast. How is Mr. Izquierdo doing? How can I contact him? Please let me know. My e-mail address is Je_Ocejo@yahoo.com. I remember he got married back than to a girl name Rocio, I don't know if they are still together but that lady was my father's friend daughter. Who else do you remember. Please get back to me with pictures. I have pictures too. Let me know how can I e-mail them to you. Would you believe that we are talking about almost atleast 35 years ago but I don't forget. God Bless you. Henry OLLBob, Any recollections of my father, Frank Corrigan, Class of 1940? Maybe not yourself but some of your older brothers. Steve Corrigan More OLL MemoriesI graduated in 1937 and was probably a fellow graduate of a brother. I had skipped 7th grade and so did not get to know classmates well. It is possible that the Waters family lived across the alley on the second floor of the building on 142nd Street. We lived on the top floor of the next building on Hamilton Place. In the same building lived Buddy Sweeney and Sal Guizzardi, also a tall blond kid who graduated with me. I believe your mother and my mom, Agnes Orlando, were friends. I believe your mother visited mine in 1952-3 in our new home in Bergenfield, N.J. I remember a sister who must have graduated with me or my sister Marie Orlando in 1936. My brother Andrew graduated 1947. My mother, brother and sister have passed away. I remember Poncho, the Kosta family, the Madigans, Woodses, Rendeans, Glyforces, McCarvils, Walshes, Philipses, Flynns, Duggans, Hooks, Rodriquezes, Craigs, Hugheses, Conways etc. I am sure we had many things in common being OLL graduates at a very special interval of time. I wish you well in your very beautiful state which I have passed through on three occasions. Best wishes and fond memories. John and Alice Orlando OLLLot older than you. Attended OLL from late 1930s to early 40s. Baptized, first Holy Communion and Confirmation (Cardinal Spellman). Lived at 145 and the Drive. Remember principal when I was there, Mother Mary Margaret. First grade teacher was Mother Mary Andrews. Remember playing on roof and being shocked by Mother Mary Andrews jumping rope. Believe there was a Father Dolan around that that time. Only went to through the 3rd grade there and then moved to 75th St and the Blessed Sacrament -- a whole different world, and not as kind or caring. Memories of OldHi Henry. You may not remember me but I also taught gym with George and sometimes Ms. Ortiz. George is with the Department of Education on the East Side. I work for the Bloomberg Administration. Sister Mary Owen has moved to Rye and of course all the nuns are now gone. I left in 1996 but I still miss all of the good times shared during my years there. Memories Are GoodHello, You taught me gym and we also had alot of good times with the High School Club on Friday nights. I have most painful memories of O.L.L the day Msgr. Cahill passed away. I never knew how much a heart could have so much pain and yet go on. My dad died on 4-29-96, Max Mora and I felt the same pain all over again. Do you know where Mother John Fisher has gone ... her name had changed to Sister Maryanne. I would love to hear from you. Maxine Mora Hi HenryMy email address is mmorafredericks@aol.com. I have yours and I am so happy to be in contact with you I graduated in 1973. I went to Cathedral High School. Later moved to Florida. My brothers and sisters are still in NY and I miss so much of it. I look forward to catching up with you. I will write soon. God Bless. Maxine Fellow ClassmateHi Tony, It has been more than 48 years since I last saw you - at our graduation from OLL in 1960. Let me know what you have been up to in the past half century. My e-mail address is kmckenna@clarku.edu. Kevin LTNSMr. White! Not sure if you still come to this site, but on the off chance that you still visit i thought i would write. It's been so long since I've seen or heard from you, not since "Len Fong" closed. For all others that may still come by this site, I graduated in 1983 (possibly 82). Would love to hear from a blast from the past. Please email me at kellyw88@gmail.com John McKennaHi Kevin, Any chance you are related to the McKenna family? John McKenna, Class of 1941 Your name sure rings a bell, however there must be 20 years difference between us. Have a healthy and happy 2009 In friendship, Ed Woods John McKennaHi Ed, I'm afraid that I'm not related to John McKenna. My brothers, Donald and Desmond, graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes in the fifties. I wasn't aware of another McKenna family in the parish when I was at OLL. Happy and healthy 2009 to you as well, Ed. Cheers, Kevin McKenna FamilyThe John McKenna family I knew lived on the northeast corner of Hamilton Place and 141st street. I had other friends and schoolmates in that building. Thinking back, you probably had to be an Irish Catholic to live there. Whatever, I think you had to be an Irish Catholic to attend OLL. I never knew any others at that time, the 1930s. Most fathers worked for the subway and trolley systems or at the milk delivery companies along 125th Street near the river. Those were the days, my friend. Innocence prevailed! In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods The Mc KennasJim McKenna and his younger brother Tommy lived in that house above Grizzardi's grocery. Tom hung around with Marty the Hanger Phipher and the Warriors. Billy Vahey and his brother Eddie who retired as a Lieutenant in the NYPD lived there also. Their mother was still there in the early 80s. You probably knew the Schadack family, who I believe owned Schrafft's or Donald York. I think the building was 644 West 145 St. It was the first apartment house in the city to have a self-service elevator. When we lived there the neighborhood was known as Washington Heights. For some reason it's now referred to as Hamilton Heights. A couple of great web sites -- Forgotten NY and Bridge and Tunnel Club. You can spend hours & hours on Rockaway Beach alone. Lots of good memories! How about the movie theaters -- the Delmar, the RKO Hamilton, the Dorset, the Loews Rio, the Loews 175 (now the Rev. Ikes Church) and all the theaters along 180th Street? Hamilton HeightsNorm, Many thanks for your fine memories of our old neighborhood but there are a few minor corrections I have to make. The first is the name Shadack family. I believe the correct spelling is Shattuck and his address was 676 Riverside Drive on the corner of 145th Street. We lived there and my brother Bill was classmates with Gene Shattuck. No relation to the Schrafft's empire. Secondly, Hamilton Heights was always known as such. Outsiders didn't know where that was so we usually said Washington Heights for simplicity. Washington Heights doesn't really start until 157th Street and is separated from Hamilton Heights by the Audubon plot. The Old NeighborhoodAlex Hamilton lived nearby. There was a very pleasant young man (OLL Class of 1941) named Eugene Shattuck who lived near 145th Street and Riverside Drive. His father was a professor at Manhattan College and his family owned the Schrafft's Restaurants. I fondly recall Eugene having the wonderful hourglass-shaped bottles of hard Schrafft's candy brought to school and distributing one bottle to each of his classmates at Christmas time. Needless to say, the poor Amsterdam Avenue kids were in awe of one who could afford to do such a good deed. You mention the Warriors, I knew the (Gang) but not any of the names mentioned here on Shorpy. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods P.S. My in-laws the Boyd family lived at 676 Riverside Drive. Les Sr. had a radio repair shop on 145th and Broadway. 676 Riverside DriveI lived at 676 as well. The family's name was Shattuck. In my day, many, many years ago, the elevator had an operator. A sweet man in full uniform. There was a doorman as well. Saw the building years later and was appalled at the change. Then went up to OLL and hardly recognized it. It was the best school I ever went to. Thank you for reminding me of the fun. And yes, of the education I got there. By the way, 676 on the Drive was called the Deerfield. OLL StudentsI am researching my family history and I came upon this great site. In 1930 my grandparents Michael and Marie Murphy were living at 1744 Amsterdam Avenue and later in the 1930s at 115 Hamilton Place. All of the Murphy children attended Our Lady of Lourdes School. They were: Maurice (born 1916) Rita (born 1917/ my Mother) John (born 1918) Theresa (born 1920) Vincent (born 1922) Veronica (born 1925) My mom had such fond memories of her time spent there. Rita Harmon Bianchetto Hi Neighbor!!Hi Rita, I'm a former resident of 676 Riverside. My family lived there from 1940 to 1960 in apartment 4A. Bobby Foy lived next door to us. I think you may have left just after we arrived since I remember the elevator operator. The change to automatic was somtime during or just after WWII. I remember they put up this 10 foot wall with a door to limit access to the building. Fat lot of good that did us as my mother was robbed in broad daylight in the service chamber of our apartment in 1960. That's when my Dad had us pack up and leave for a secure location in the Bronx. Anyway, the apartment was great. We had a balcony looking over 145th Street and the river. My brothers were Larry Jr., Bill and Nick. Bill was a good friend to Gene Shattuck and went to Xavier with him. Nick and I also went there. Larry had a scholarship to All Hallows. Judy, can you tell me your last name and if you knew me. Hope to hear from you. Bob Phillips at bobbyphilly@msn.com Your DadSorry Steve, I graduated in 1947 and my three brothers have died. But the name Corrigan does ring a bell. Probably from my brother Larry who knew just about everyone in OLL. Sorry I couldn't help out but it was great hearing from you. Bob Phillips Andrew.Yes, I remember your brother Andrew. We were in the same class and we used to kid him about his name - Andrew Orlando and how tall he was. What's he doing these days? Bob Phillips Those were the days, my friendsHello Rita, I remember the name Murphy but not the faces. We lived a block south of you at 1704 Amsterdam. My sister Ellen, Class of 1936, and brother Bill, Class of 1937, would have known your family. We had many friends on Hamilton Place, the Koster family for one: Anita, Class of 1936, her younger sister Barbara married Burl Ives, and her other sister Mary Lou married Eddie Byrne (1710 Amsterdam). Ed's sister married Chump Greeny -- killed at Anzio Beach. He must have lived near your family. My brother in law Les Boyd lived in the Deerfield and had an electric appliance store on the corner of 145th and B'way and a sporting goods store on the next block next to the Chinese restaurant. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods Hello RitaHello Rita, I attended St. Catherine's Academy on 151st between B'way and Amsterdam (It cost my dear old dad $10 a month for what was considered a private school.) I graduated in 1943 in a class of only four girls. I then went to the Sacred Heart of Mary Academy in Inwood (I had to climb the long steps up from B'way every day for four years -- Class of 1947. Most of my relatives went to OLL as did my husband of 59 years, Ed Woods. We are still alive, kicking and fighting and making up every day. In my Class of 1943, one of the girls was Ann Murphy -- any relation? Also a Virginia O'Malley and my best friend, June McAvoy, who keeps in touch with me. June's grandfather was Judge McAvoy, who had died by that time. I loved when my folks took me to McGuire's Bar and Restaurant on B'way and 155th. Oh that Roast Lamb (Irish style) on a Sunday or a holiday. The girls used to go to Nuestra Senora de Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope) next to the museum complex. We were told not to go there for confession, but the Spanish priests were limited in English. Thinking back we had but little to confess at that time. Eddie and I had an apartment on 150th near the Drive for a few years until 1956, then it was off to Long Island to raise our six children. In friendship and love hearing from you, Ed and Jackie Woods The MurphysHi Ed and Jackie, Thanks so very much for your reply. I wish my mom was still with us but she died in 1998, the last of the Murphy kids. My grandfather Mike Murphy worked for the Post Office (a mail carrier working out of the General P.O. at 33rd and 8th). My grandmother Marie Murphy died in 1939 while living at Hamilton Place. Uncle Maurice went to Regis H.S. for several years before leaving to attend All Hallows; John and Vincent then attended All Hallows; my mom, Rita, attended Cathedral; Veronica, I believe, attended St. Vincent, and Theresa died at age 25 in 1944 (not sure of her high school). Mom worked at Woolworth's on 145th Street and Broadway, and after high school at New York Telephone, retiring about 1980. She got married in 1943 and moved to 152nd Street, and we attended St. Catherine of Genoa on W. 153rd. I graduated in 1958. So I know the neighborhood. Peace, Rita Hi Ed and JackieSo Jackie you are a St. Kate's gal like me! My tuition was a dollar a month, so your education was really a private school. You have listed the Academy at 151st Street but I think that it was on 152nd between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. I took my high school entrance exam at SHM so I am sort of familiar with the school -- fireworks were going off during our exam. The end result was I did fine and attended Blessed Sacrament on West 70th, Class of 1962. I last saw the "girls" at a reunion in 2002. My Spanish teacher just celebrated her 70th anniversary as a nun with the Sisters of Charity. I am not familiar with any of the girls names that you mentioned,including Ann Murphy. I do know McQuire's, where I had my first Shirley Temple, Mass at Our Lady of Esperanza, Trinity Cemetery & loved visiting the museums. Do either of you recall Eugenio Pacelli, before he became Pope Pius XII visiting at OLL ? Please tell me about your days on 150th Street near the Drive since I may have been the little skinny blond kid you both passed on the street. Peace, Rita in Northern New Jersy West 150th NYCHello Rita, Yes, we lived at 615 W. 150th from 1950 to 1956. Four of my children were born there (three at Lutheran Hospital and one at Jewish Memorial). We had many friends from school and the neighborhood living nearby. However, by 1956 it was time to move on; many changes in the neighborhood. One of my nearby friends was Juanita Poitier; Sidney was just getting started with his acting career. A real nice couple. Was Father Tracy (Pastor) still there when you attended school? How about Father Brady? He was always telling stories during Mass about his sea time with the Navy. Eddie remembers going to the Woolworths lunch counter (145th and B'way) in the early 1940s just to have an excuse to talk with the girls. He knew many of them from school and the neighborhood. In friendship, Jackie West 152ndHi Jackie and Ed, I lived at 620 West 152nd Street, just a stone's throw from you folks. My sister was born at Jewish Memorial Hospital in March 1952 -- Dr. Sandler from Broadway 150/151st St. delivered. Those were the days of Dave's deli on the corner of 151st & Broadway famous for pastrami on rye and a cold beer for the dads, Rafferty's Bar and Grill on the other side of B'way, Harry's or Pierre's homemade candy and ice cream parlor, Cora's beauty salon where my Nana would get a cold wave and blue tint. And not to be forgotten, Snow & Youman's drug store on B'Way and 151st. I recall the name Fr. Brady but it was Pastor Kane and Fr. Tracy (and his Irish Setter, Rusty) that I recall. I just sent a photo of Fr. Tracy to my classmates. Rita Japanese BazaarWho remembers the Japanese-American bazaar in the brownstones across from the OLL lower grades school during the war? They had the blue star & the gold star pennants hanging in the windows. They also had a store on Amsterdam Avenue near 144th Street and when they sold coffee the lines would go all around the block. How about the punchball games out side the school, or stoop ball? Anyone remember playing basketball and using the bottom rung on the fire escape ladder as a basket? The nearest basketball court was at 148th Street by the river. If you wanted to "take out" a ball from the park, you would leave a shirt as a deposit. I remember shoveling snow off the court in order to play. Unfortunately those days were the last time the country was almost 100% together. Twenty years from now, these will be the "good old days." Your brother AndrewI palled around with Andy & another kid named Eddie McGlynn. As a matter of fact I have a picture of Andy, Buddy Ayres & me at Rye Beach. Buddy went to Bishop Dubois with us. He was from Vinegar Hill. You didn't mention the Wittlingers. They lived on the first floor in your building. Brendan lives in Virginia. I'm still in touch with him, Matty Waters and Les Scantleberry. Pancho Pereria made a career of the Navy. He died several years ago. JoeJoe, one of my closest friends, was killed in Korea. Dave's DeliI haven't had a good hot corned beef sandwich since I last had one at Dave's. His son Milton was running the store in the 1950s after Dave retired to Florida. Dave's used to have a window in the summer that sold potato knishes (5 cents, with mustard) and of course kosher hot dogs. I heard a Clement Moore fan club still meets every Christmas Eve next to Trinity Church Cemetery and recites "The Night Before Christmas." I was born in 1928 at 853 Riverside Drive. When 90 Riverside was built in 1941 and blocked the view of the Hudson, we moved there. Warm regards, Jackie and Ed The old neighborhoodThe Wittlingers (the twins were the same age as my two younger brothers, also twins), Matty Waters, Les Scantleberry, JoJo: All those names I remember, especially Pancho and his family. For the life of me, I cannot understand why your name doesn't ring a bell. You mentioned the Warriors. Did you know Tommy or Willie Taylor, the Conroys, Drago, Jackie Hughes, etc. What years did you attend OLL? I looked up some old friends on the Internet over the past few years -- said hello and then goodbye when their families called to give me the news: Vinny McCarville, Bruce Boyd, Phil Marshall, Eddie O'Brien -- all gone to their maker. They were spread out all over the country. It was satisfying, however, just to say hello. I met Vinny in New Orleans and we had a beer for the first time in many years. We had gone to sea together during WWII and had a lot of memories. You must forgive my spelling etc. My eyesight is on its way out (along with everything else). I will be 82 in a few months but active and still traveling. I have been to six of the seven continents and my wish is to have breakfast at the South Pole. In friendship, Ed and Jackie Woods ToppersWas Dave's on B'Way near 140th Street? I sold the Sunday News there for 25 cents during the news strike. It was normally a nickel. We had to go down to the News Building to buy them. Overhead! Who remembers the Sugar Bowl on the corner of 143rd and Broadway? A great hangout for different age groups. How about Toppers Ice Cream parlor on B'Way between 139 & 140th? In the 1940s and early '50s you could go to the Audubon Theater at 168th and B'Way on Sunday for 77 Cents and see three features, 23 cartoons, newsreels and an eight-act stage show with such luminaries as Billy Halop of the Dead End Kids or Lash LaRue or Ferdinand the Bull. Top shelf. They must get at lest a buck fifty for admission today! Tea and Nut StoreHi Norm, My mom (Rita Murphy) mentioned there was an Asian family owned Tea and Nut shop in OLL Parish when she was a child (born 1917). She said her brothers, Maurice and John Murphy, would sometimes play with the owners' son. I am wondering if this could be the same shop. Rita ToppersDave's was on the southwest corner of Broadway and 151st Street, a short trip from my home on 152nd near Riverside Drive. I do recall the Sugar Bowl and maybe was in it once or twice but never hung out there. Topper's is a name I never heard before, as far as ice cream parlors go. Thanks so much for mentioning the name and location. Perhaps before my time (1945 baby) or too far from my home. Many people have mentioned the Audubon Theater to me (165-166th Street) but I have no memory of it at all. I do recall the San Juan Theater that took over the space of the old Audubon. I love hearing about Mom's (Rita Murphy's) old neighborhood. Thanks for sharing. Rita Your Name?No, Dave's Deli was on 151st and Broadway. Yes, Toppers & the Sugar Bowl were popular hangouts, however the Piedmont, the Staghorn and the Chesterfield were more popular later on. I have pictures of the great snowfall of December 27, 1947 taken in front of the above mentioned restaurants with a bunch of the guys posing in the cold. The Audubon Theater became better known when Malcom X was murdered in its ballroom. I saw Milton Berle there in the early 1940s. Actually, the Bluebird and the Washington were also popular as they only cost 10 cents (no heat or air conditioning). Memories, memories, dreams of long ago. Ed and Jackie Woods The OLL ChoirI sang in the OLL choir for about 5 or 6 years and hated it.T he only advantage was that we skipped the last class for practice. The downside was that after attending 9 o'clock Mass we had to sing at the 11 o'clock High Mass, which interfered with our Sunday football game. I played with the Junior Cadets. We had a very good team coached by Joe Romo, who went on to be the trainer for the Oakland A's for many years. I saw him at Yankee Stadium whenever the team played the Yankees at home. Joe died several years ago. Mr. Skyler, the choirmaster, wore a wig that could easily be mistaken for road kill. I used to wonder if he was committing a sin by wearing something on his head in church. After all it was no different then wearing a hat during Mass. Mrs. Daly was a very lovely lady who played the organ and gave piano lessons. She lived down the street from us on 142nd between Broadway and Hamilton Place and had something like 10 kids. My sister Maureen was friends with Theresa and Billie. John was I believe the youngest son. Maureen graduated from Notre Dame de Lourdes on Convent Avenue. My sister Frances was close friends with Helen and Rita Nerney, who lived across the street. Fran died in 2002. ToppersI lived at 635 Riverside Drive. I recall Toppers being near the corner of 141st, next to a Jewish deli. In the summer my dad took my brother Tom and me for ice cream there every evening. Happy memories! Bishop DuboisI graduated 1953 from Bishop Dubois. I believe your brother Ernie was in my class at OLL. I hope he is doing well. Give him my regards. Bill Healy Names from the Old NeighborhoodBrendan & Bernie turned 76 on February 2. Don't ask how I remember things like this. I forgot what I had for breakfast this morning. I'll be 76 August 11, weather permitting. Everyone seems to forget Pinky (Michael) Pereria. You are closer to my late brother Jim's age. Jim hung out with Jimmy and John Bartlett, Donald LaGuardia, Tommy & Willie Taylor (born on the same day a year apart -- Irish twins). Again I don't know why I remember these things. Eddie O'Brien used to go by the name Drawde Neirbo, his name spelled backwards. He was a close friend of Big Jack Hughes. I recall a group of you guys joining the Merchant Marine during the war. The Dragos lived on 141st Street between Hamilton Place and Amsterdam Avenue. The youngest (Joseph?) was in my class. A couple of years ago I went down to the old neighborhood with my sons. Surprisingly, it looks great. Lots of renovations going on. My beautiful wife June is a BIC (Bronx Irish Catholic) from the South Bronx. It's not as great a neighborhood as it used to be, but lots of great people came out of there. I took her away from there, married her 50 plus years ago and got her a decent dental plan and raised five kids in New Jersey. I graduated in 1948. It should have been 1947 but Mother Mary Inez red-shirted me in the 6th grade. Will stay in touch. Norm Brown Norm Brown??Norm, I graduated in 1947 from OLL. I knew a kid (Norman Brown) who lived on 141st between Hamilton and Broadway. I think he had a younger brother. He went to OLL with me, but he did not graduate from OLL. Eddie McGlynn was in my class, and the Wittlingers. I lived at 510 W 140th. Are you that Norman? Bill H. The Summer of '66Hi Jackie and Ed, I never had one of Dave or Milton's corned beef sandwiches but I can say that the pastrami on rye was a thing that dreams are made of. I recall the knishes out the window in the summer and the hot dogs. Thanks so much for taking me back in time. Milton would take the pastrami out of that silver steamer box sharpening his knife, and the rest was heaven on rye. Milton was still behind the counter in the summer of 1966 but after that I can't say. I am sure that "The Night Before Christmas" is still recited next to Clement Moore's grave, in Trinity Cemetery. In my day the Girl Scout Troop that met at the Church of the Intercession would participate in the recitation of the Moore piece. I know that 853 Riverside Drive is on the Upper Drive, since I sat on "The Wall" on summer evenings as a teenager. You said you moved in 1941 to 90 RSD -- did you mean 90 or 890? I am not familiar with the numbering of the "lower" drive where the red house sits (so it was called). I am off in search of a good sandwich. Peace, Rita Stagershorn & ChesterfieldMalcom X was shot in the Audubon Ballroom at the back of the theater, which later became the Teatro San Juan. I saw Abbott and Costello there en Espanol. At 7 years old I was run over by a truck at 142 Street and Broadway, right outside the Staghorn, I managed to live! I would hang from the window outside the Chesterfield, watching football games on TV with Bobby Heller and Herby Gil and Buddy McCarthy. That was a hell of a snowstorm in '47. Remember digging tunnels through the snowbanks? You forgot to mention Larry's, just next to the Sugar Bowl. I would watch "Victory at Sea" there. A couple of years ago I took a walk through the OLL neighborhood and realized that when you are a kid everything you see is at eye level and taken for granted, but as you look up and around from a mature aspect it becomes a whole different world. It is really a beautiful area. 90 Riverside Drive WestHi Rita. I'm positive 853 was on the Lower Drive. When the new building went up next to it around 1941, the address was 90 Riverside Drive West. However, it caused so much confusion with 90 Riverside Drive (downtown) that the address was changed to 159-32 Riverside. The plot originally hosted a small golf course. I also went to the Church of the Intercession with the Girl Scouts. Small world. And the wall -- on a hot summer night, standing room only. Jackie West 140th NYCThe kids I hung around with were in the OLL classes of 1940 and 1941. I had a weekend job in 1941 with Ike's Bike Rental on 141st. He needed someone to identify the kids who rented there (bikes rented for 20 cents an hour -- and that's the truth). We started a Junior Air Raid Wardens group and had a store next to Ike's. Collected paper etc, for the war effort. And you are correct, within three years, when we turned 16, McCarvill, O'Brien, Drago and I joined the merchant marine. Did you know the Kieley family -- lived at 1628 Amsterdam before moving to the lower Bronx: Pauline, Rita, Josephine, Peggy and the two boys Nicky and Jimmy. I loved going to their upstairs apartment for tea, especially when Mrs Kiely made Irish Soda Bread. My wife (then girlfriend) Jackie sponsored Jim Kieley when he became a citizen around 1948. He was from County Waterford, the same as her family. We celebrated our 59th anniversary last week. Regards, Eddie Woods My Brother JimYou probably knew my brother Jim Brown. He too was born in 1928. He died three years ago today. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes, spent a couple of years in the Army and graduated from Fordham University. Jim lived in Wycoff, N.J. He was very successful in business. Amsterdam AvenueThe Denning family (10 kids) lived on Amsterdam Avenue between 141st and 142nd. Hughie had polio and wrote away to FDR for an autograph during the war. As it turned out he was the last person to get one. He was in an iron lung at the time. It was a big deal. Lots of press. One of the boys, Peter Schaefer Denning, was born on the back of a beer truck on the way to the hospital. Hence the name. The Connolly brothers, Eamon and Timmy, lived in the same building. Everyone in the family had red hair. Not unlike Bobby Foy's family. If I recall properly, the father looked like Arthur Godfrey, his mom like Lucille Ball, Bobby like Red Skelton, and they had a red cat plus an Irish setter. It took a lot of guts for a group of 16-year-old kids to join the merchant marine. A belated thanks for your service. My wife makes great Irish soda bread. Is there any other kind? You can give ten women the same ingredients for soda bread and you'll get ten different tasting breads. All great! Especially with a cup of Lynches Irish tea. The season is almost upon us once again. The only Kiely (different spelling) I knew was my NYPD partner Timmy, who was from the South Bronx, Hunts Point. Tim grew up with Colin Powell. Having worked in the South Bronx for 25 years and marrying June Margaret O'Brien, one of six girls from there, I pretty much connect with the people of SOBRO, as the area is now known. Sooner or later everything gets yuppified. How about this web site? Something else! Take care, Norm Mea CulpaHi Jackie, Of course you know 853 RSD is on the Lower Drive but Google Maps does not. "Looks like 800 Block of Upper Drive is even numbers and 800 Block on Lower Drive is odd numbers." I did not locate 159-32 but I did find a 159-34 and 159-00, seems to be the last structure (red brick) on the Lower Drive area that we are speaking of, now a co-op but the year of construction is not listed. I have very fond memories of the folks I spent time with on "our" wall. Peace, Rita Yes, it's Kiely I was in error. For whatever resaon, The Dublin House on 79th off the NE corner of Broadway became a meeting place for many of the kids from the OLL area up until the early 1970s: Eamon Connolly, Tommy Taylor etc. I worked with Tom for a short time before be went on the force and then as a T Man. I have not heard from him in too many years. One of great fellows from the old neighborhood. In friendship, Ed Woods My e-mail: eandjwoods50@Yahoo.com P.S. The Kiely family moved to Crimmons Ave in the Bronx West 159th Street NYCDear Rita, I do enjoy rehashing the old neighborhood and the wonderful memories we can recall. Yes, it is the last buillding on the street and I lived there until 1950, when I married Ed. My uncle George lived there until c. 1981 in a rent controlled apartment, and yes, it did become a co-op. When first opened, the building had four entrances. Later, in the 1980s, it was down to one main entrance on the via-dock for safety reasons. I loved our apartment there, which had a beautiful view of the Hudson and the George Washington Bridge. My friend June, nee McAvoy, lived at 3750 B'way. We were together in school for 12 years at St. Catherine's and Sacred Heart. June lives in Maryland. By the way, my e-mail is eandjwoods50@yahoo.com Jackie Woods The Red HouseDear Jackie & Ed, How lucky you were to have lived in the Red House, especially with the views of the bridge and the river. Growing up I never knew anyone who lived there, so never saw the interior, I'm sure it was lovely. I heard that David Dinkins lived there at some point before he became mayor. Many of my classmates lived in 790 Riverside Drive and I was always so impressed that their apartments had two doors. Our apartment was on the fourth floor of a walkup and across the street from a garage. Funny how I was not really impressed by a doorman but by the two doors. I seem to remember a gas station near your friend June's house...other side of Broadway from the museum, now college. One of my St. Catherine's classmates, last I heard, he was teaching at the college. Was Rexall Drug on the corner of 157th, with the newsstand outside the door, when you lived in the Red House? In my home we seemed to have all of the city newspapers -- morning, afternoon and evening, some selling for 4 cents. To this day I read two papers every day and still long to go out Saturday night to pick up the Sunday paper. Thanks for the email. Peace, Rita Class of 1959I attended O.L.L. from 5th to 8th grade. My 5th grade teacher was Mother Mary Edward, what a wonderful woman, 6th was Mother Mary St. Hugh, 7th Mother Mary Edward and 8th Mother Mary Bernadette. Graduated in 1959. Classes were mxed -- black, white and Latino. Memories are mostly good ones -- Father Kline, Father Malloy, Father Hart. The religious experience most memorable, especially during Lent, novenas on Wednesday afternoon and Stations on Friday after school. Liggets / RexallHello Rita, I loved the lunch/soda counter at Liggetts/Rexalls. for whatever reason, my family used the pharmacy across the street, on the east side of B'way, to have prescriptions filled. The family that owned and operated the newsstand helped us lease our first apartment at 600 W. 157th. Apartments were in short supply in 1950. We lived in the unit formerly rented by the Singer Midgets next to Peaches Browning of Daddy Browning fame. Of course they were long gone when we lived there. My father was very active in the Tioga Democratic Club with the Simonetti family. Do you remember Warner's Cafeteria between 157 & 158th? We visited St. Catherine's Church Christmas week 2007 with our niece who wanted to see where she was baptized in 1953. She is on Mayor Bloomberg's staff. Warm regards, Jackie Woods eandjwoods50@yahoo.com Oh, as the poet said, "To return to yesteryear and our salad days." My brother ErnieBilly, Ernie and I went to Bishop Dubois. Ernie for two years and I for three. We both were bounced in 1951 and transferred to Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. We went there on a Schrafft's scholarship. Our mom waited on tables at Schrafft's in order to send us there. In those days it was pretty much a blue collar school. It wasn't that far removed from being a reform school. VERY STRICT. Today it's much more hoity toity. I'm still in close touch with my old classmates, most of whom have been successful in life. Ernie was a great basketball player, the first to score over 50 points in a game in Bergen County (three times), breaking Sherman White's record. White was an All American but messed up his career in the 1950-51 college season. Ernie went to Fordham on an athletic scholarship. Ernie died in 2002. He was a very special guy, extremely generous and giving. We miss him a lot. He lived a couple of blocks away from me as did most of my siblings. Sad to say, the circle grows smaller. 1959 OLL gradsAre you out there, does any one remember or know of any of the following graduates of O.L.L. -- Starr Martin, Carol Long or her sisters, Carlotta and Tony, Josephine Velez, Melvina (Kinky) Boyd, Chicky Aponte. I went of to Cathedral and the others to various Catholic high schools and lost touch. After finding this site, many memories have come back. Would like to know how old friends are doing. 600 W. 157thHi Jackie, You lived around the corner from the post office. I remember going there once to get a money order and losing Mom's gray umbrella. Your building was by the Grinnell, where a friend's father was the superintendent during the 60s. Liggett/Rexall -- we went to Snow & Youman's for drugs but to Rexall for film, flashbulbs and of course the soda fountain. The last time I was there was April 1965, just before my son was born. I do not recall a Warner's Cafeteria but do remember the famous, and oh so good, Imperial Deli, Lambos Flower Shop, Commander Bar & Grill, Full Moon & McGuire's. I visited St. Catherine's about 1994 and it was like being in a time warp, except for the piano near the altar. The church was just as I remembered when I got married in 1964, only smaller. The school is now public. I am in touch with some of my friends from the Class of 1958. It was nice that your niece was able to visit the church where she was baptized. I never heard of the Tioga Democratic Club or the Simonetti family (the only Simonettis I know are the family whose niece and son are engaged). Jackie, was the pharmacy on the east side of B'way United or perhaps that was a sign for United Cigar? So nice this walk down memory lane. Best to your Eddie. Peace, Rita Memories: dreams of long agoHi Rita, My close friend June's, nee McAvoy, family lived in the Grinnell for many years. Her grandfather was Judge McAvoy. Eddie claims to have an exceptionally good memory but he says he needs to yield to you. You do have a most wonderful recall. However, he is more familiar with the OLL school and church neighborhood. My brother-in-law (much older than Eddie and me) was in the vending machine business: Ace Distributing -- jukeboxes, cigarette machines etc. Eddie worked for him for a few years when we first married and the company had locations in almost every store in the neighborhood (including the Commander). That is a dead business today. How about Pigeon Park? You couldn't sit there. Warm regards, Jackie Woods GrinnellHi Jackie, Do you recall a Doctor James Farley living in the Grinnell? Doctor Farley must have taken care of half of Washington Heights over a period of many years (had an office on 178 St. between Broadway and Ft. Washington Ave.). Ah, Pigeon Park...I remember it well and always tried to circumvent it! All the best. Rita I remember it wellHi Rita, Our family physician was Dr. VanWorth, as an adult I visited Dr. Liebling, who had an office c. 156th. He later moved down to 72nd Street. A wonderful caring man (who made house calls). My son Ed Jr. was 58 years old this week, I have a picture of him when he was 1 sitting on a pony taken on the corner of 155th and B'way. John Orlando's brother married a St Catherine's girl. I don't know her age. Ain't we got fun? Jackie Woods Current resident of the neighborhood (Grinnell)I'd like to invite you to visit www.audubonparkny.com, which is a virtual walking tour of the neighorhood you're discussing. You can "take the walking tour" online or go to the Sitemap/ Index of Images to read about specific buildings and see pictures from many eras. I'm happy to post any pictures (and credit the owners) of the neighborhood that you'd like to share - focusing on the Audubon Park area (155th to 158th, Broadway to the river). www.audubonparkny.com Walking TourThanks so very much for posting the site for the Audubon Park area...I had a delightful walking tour. Down Memory Lane at OLLWhat happened, did we all run out of memories? Who remembers the stickball field comprised of Hamilton Place from 140 to 141st Street. A ball hit over the small roof on 141st was a double and over the roof at 95 Hamilton Place was a homer. After the war the street was so crowded with cars that the games were moved to Convent Avenue in front of CCNY. There was some heavy money bet on these games. Walking TourThanks, Rita, I'm glad you enjoyed the walk! Please come back and visit the site again. I post a Newsletter on the homepage (www.AudubonParkNY.com ) each month highlighting new pages, information, and research, as well as updates on the Historic District project. Matthew The Prairie StateDoes anyone have memories of the Prairie State? It was a WWI battleship moored in the Hudson River at about 135 Street and I believe used for Naval Reserve training. As kids we snuck on board and played basketball on it. The deck (court) had a bow on it which is partially responsible for the replacement parts in my ankle today. How about the "Dust Bowl" at 148 Street next to the river where we played football and baseball? Today it's state of the art, at least compared to what we played on. Now there is grass on the field. Progress! Under the Via DockFar from being a battleship, the Prairie State (also called the Illinois) was an old transport. However, as youngsters we would have been impressed by its size. Pancho and another neighborhood boy whose name I can't recall trained there before being sent to England as frogmen in preparation for the D-Day landing. It was decided that those boys with big chests (big lungs) could do the job best. I can recall Pancho telling me after the war that he had only a few days of Boot Camp. Sports -- we used the oval near City College. Stick ball -- 144th between Amsterdam and B'way. A ball hit to any roof was an out, never a homer. Spaldines was Spaldings were costly in the 1930s. One had to learn to hit as far up the street as possible, over the sewers. That is why the good hitters (one strike only) were called three-sewer hitters. The Prairie State was docked under the Via Dock c. 130th St. Like you, we visited it often. Nearby were the meatpacking/butcher plants. During the 1930s there were two "Hoovervilles" (hobo camps) under the dock. The overhead gave the men some some protection from the elements. I had an uncle who took me fishing off the piers. I felt sorry for the "lost souls." Then one day they were all gone. Hosed away! I used to wonder where they went. In friendship Ed Woods eandjwoods50@yahoo.com PanchoAs you recall, Pancho was short, about 5'8" and maybe 200 lbs. and a very good athlete -- basketball, baseball and could hold his own on a basketball court. I remember speaking to him about the UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams,the precursor to the Navy Seals) and asking him if they were relegated to swimming all the time. He told me they spent most of the time running, running, running to build endurance. As I remember, the Oval was near Convent Avenue. We never used the term two sewers in stickball. That was a Bronx expression. We bought our pink "Spaldeens" at Rutenbergs candy store on Amsterdam Avenue between 140 and 141 Streets for a nickel. He also sold kids twofers, two for a penny loosies, and Bugle Tobacco so you could roll your own or purchase a corncob pipe to puff away. Loosies were two cigarettes for a penny. I understand due to the cost of smokes they are doing that again. We played "swift pitching" in the park at Hamilton Place between 140 and 141 streets. It was comprised of drawing a box (a strike zone) on the the handball court wall and throwing balls and strikes as hard as you could. I'm a little younger then you but I remember the Swift Meat Plant down by the river and the time John Garfield filmed a scene from a movie, Force of Evil, running down the steps toward the river. Somehow he ended up at the red lighthouse under the GW Bridge and discovered his brother's body, played by Thomas Gomez, in the river. As kids during the war we would fish and crag off the docks right near the old Two Six Precinct. I'll never forget the time my younger brother came home with a catfish and an eel and damn near burned the house down trying to cook them. Boy, life was a lot simpler then. Even with a world war raging. Amsterdam AveRutenbergs, address 1628 Amsterdam, I lived in the upstairs bldg for five years. The Rutenbergs lived in an apt in the back of their store. Tommy Smith worked their paper route for many years. Tommy lived in 1626 next to McCarvill. The Conroys (Johnny the Bull) lived in 1630. Eddie O'Brien lived in 1634 over the Rothschild Deli where we could buy Old Dutch beer for 14 cents a quart plus a 5 cent deposit. "It's for my father." The playground around the corner was busy at night after it closed for the day. My recall of loosies is six for five cents in a small paper bag with six wooden matches. You refer to the station house as the "Two Six Precinct." Something tells me you were "on the job." A good family friend, Frank Lynch, became the Captain at 152nd and Amsterdam (The Three Two)? Your e-mail? In friendship, Ed Woods Three Oh PrecinctYes I worked in the South Bronx for 25 years which included 10 years at the Yankee Stadium,ten of the best years of my life. A ring side seat at the world. We played many games there-- Shae, West Point, etc. -- and traveled to Venezuela with the New York Press team. I worked out with players on the DL. Thurman Munson was a good friend as was Catfish Hunter. Lou Pinella and Graig Nettles. We guarded Pope Paul and Pope John Paul II. John Paul II gave off an aura that was indescribable. I was very close to him on three occasions and he made you weak in the knees and start to shake. Believe me it wasn't his celebrity status. Some of the people I knew were Cary Grant who used to look for me when he came to many games. Someday I'll tell you how he saved my marriage. A funny story! Jimmy Cagney came to a few games. Boy was that sad to see Rocky Sullivan, every Irish American kid's hero, all crippled up with arthritis. I finished up in the Bronx Detective Task Force and never looked back. It was a great career if you rolled with the punches. The six for five must have been filter tips.I forgot about the wooden matches. Do you remember the Hooten Bars they sold? One by two inch chocolate candy stuck on wax paper. Nobody seems to remember them. Rutenberg had the greatest malteds. They kept the milk frozen. God! Were they good! The Three Oh Precinct was at 152 Street & Amsterdam Avenue across from St. Catherines Grammar School where I went to kindergarten for a day. Later it became Bishop Dubois H.S., which I attended for three years before getting bounced along with my younger brother. There was a kid by the name of Neally Riorden who may have lived in your building and a kid by the name of Brian Neeson Hannon who died around 1945. I remember going to his wake on Vinegar Hill. Next we should take a trip down Vinegar Hill. My e mail is fuzz408@optonline.net God bless & HAPPY EASTER Rutenberg'sRutenberg's had the greatest milkshakes mainly because they kept the milk semi frozen. They also had Hooten bars, sheets of one by two inch chocolate that sold for a penny each. I've never met anyone from a different neighborhood who heard of them. Yes, I was on the job for 25 years in the South Bronx. Check your personal e mail. The Three Oh was at 152 Street and Amsterdam Avenue. It's now a landmark. The new precinct is on 151st Street of Amsterdam. How about Wings Cigarettes with the photos of WW II planes? The Shamrock Bar was on the corner of 140th Street and Amsterdam. On weekends guys would pick up containers of beer and carry them over to Convent Avenue for refreshments during the stickball games. Take care, Norm PanchoLooking for any info on Pancho Periera. He is my godfather and was best friends with my dad, Frank Corrigan. OLLumnaI went graduated from OLL in 1950. I came across this great site and I am wondering if anyone graduated the same year. I have been trying to get in contact with my fellow classmates and this looked like a great opportunity! The Old ShamrockI visted the 140th Street area a few years ago and took a few pictures. The Shamrock is gone with the wind -- history. I showed a picture of the building (1626 Amsterdam) to Vinnie McCarvill, who had lived there, when I met him for a beer in New Orleans a few years ago, and he almost wept. Some great memories of our Salad Days came to mind. "Oh the nights at the playground on Hamilton Place." It's the place where we came of age. In friendship, Eddie and Jackie ParishesOne thing folks from New Orleans and New York City have in common is that you identified your neighborhood by the parish in which you lived. Agnes GerrityMy mother, Agnes Gerrity, born 1916, and her brothers Thomas and Richard (born c. 1914 and 1920) attended Our Lady of Lourdes until high school. All three have passed away but I'd love to hear if anyone happens to remember them. Like your mother, my mom loved that school and spoke of it often. Anne Collins OLL Confirmation Day 1935I thought former students would enjoy seeing the uniform we wore in Our Lady of Lourdes School Primary Dept (1st to 4th Grade) during the 1930s. KnickersIt was humiliating having to wear knickers. Remember pulling them down to your ankles and thinking "maybe people will think they are pegged pants"? Boy did we ever fool the public! And how about the high starched collars -- I don't think they could have even gotten Freddie Barthomew to wear them. Didn't we replace them with waterboarding? However Ed, they look great on you. Do you still wear them? Old OLL picsDoes any one have some old OLL class photos or just some neighborhood pictures to post here in the comments? I'm sure a lot of Shorpy addicts would appreciate them. OLLi go to school at lourdes now im in the 8th grade and i think its really cool to see people talk about the memories they had about my school before i was even born and i would love to see some kind of picture of the inside of the school like a class picture so i can see what it used to look like [Just wait'll you get to Capitalization and Punctuation. - Dave] Class of 1964I too went to OLL from '57-'64. My parents and I moved to 3495 Broadway at 143rd St. in 1956. I started in the 4th grade with Mother Mary William. The school in those days was no longer a military academy. We wore navy blue uniforms, white shirts and the school tie and the girls wore navy blue jumpers with a white blouse and blue tie. It was very interesting reading about all the students who came before me and where they lived. I always was so curious to find out how this old neighborhood looked like years before we moved in. As you all know, the area changed at some point racially, although when I was at OLL the school was still predominantly white with a handful of Black children. I will always have wonderful memories of my time at OLL. My parents moved out of the area in 1969 and I since been back once to recapture some old memories of my childhood. NostalgiaThe picture that follows is the 1937 graduation class with the girls omitted. Monsignor McMahon built church and school(1901-1913); after 15 years as Curator at St Patrick's Cathedral, constructed 7 years earlier. See church of Our Lady of Lourdes for construction details. At the time of graduation, Fr's Mahoney, Dillon and Brennan resided across from the Church. The Poor Clares home was to right of the church, and secondary had Society of the Holy Name Jesus sisters. School and Church gave us faith and hope and discipline. Our world was the depression years followed by the wars. Our class of 1937 was just in time. The handsome lad below the sergeant stripes is the brother of contributor Ed Woods.Ed,and brothers Bill and Dennis served with distinction. Andy Saraga bottom right was a highly decorated Marines The others served as well. I hope Our Lady of Lourdes provides the inspiration our families sought for us. Nostalgia 1937The 1937 graduation photo is great. It's with both sadness and pride to think that most of these wonderful kids would be defending our country in a very short time in different uniforms.Believe it or not this military training was useful. How about more pictures like this and some candid neighborhood shots. OLL in the NYThttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/nyregion/16priest.htm So interesting: A more recent residentJust want to say that I've read every entry on this post. It is so interesting to read the memories shared by those that lived way before you in the same neighborhood. My mother and I live on 135th Street near Riverside between 66th and 77th, then moved to 138th between Hamilton and Amsterdam. I went to PS 161 and graduated from CCNY. I also have fond memories of my childhood. I used to play basketball in an after school center at Our Lady of Lourdes as a young kid, visited the area a couple of years ago and brought back great pics. Cheers to all Mauricio The Grinnell: Celebrating Its Centennial Those of you who remember The Grinnell (800 Riverside Drive) may be interested to know that the residents have just begun celebrating the building's centennial. We're having a year of events,so this is a great year to visit! Check the website: http://www.thegrinnellat100.com/ for photos, historical news articles, and residents' memories (and contribute your own). Click the calendar tab for a listing of the events between now and July 2011. Matthew Why Grinnel!The hundredth anniversary of a building? Forgotten is the fact that it's also the anniversary of the site building, and all the memories fast fading. I think Ed Woods of all the graduates, always hit the mark. Several others struggled to add something. If someone remembers the names of the sisters and preferably anecdotes please don't deny this information from this site. I personally remember sister Rose from 4th grade 1934. I believe Mother Michael provided my brother Andy's Confirmation name. Others with better memories speak up. Also it wasn't only our generation that owes recognition for all given freely. Christmas at Our Lady of LourdesAt Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the statues in the creche would be replaced by live students. The scene would be repeated the following day at the 9 o'clock Children's Mass and the 11 o'clock High Mass. A live baby would be borrowed to lie in the manger. The girl who posed as the Blessed Mother and the boy who posed as Joseph were the envy of the entire student body. "Oh to return to yesteryear." Happy New YearThank you SHORPY for bringing back to us so many wonderful memories. It has been said pictures are worth a thousand words. Shorpy's pictures, however, are worth so much more -- just can't put a number on them. Thank you and a Happy New Year to the Shorpy Staff. Ed and Jackie Woods [And thank you, Ed and Jackie, for inspiring the hundreds of interesting comments in this thread. - Dave] The OLL neighborhoodIt's nice reading and re-reading your stories about OLL, Hamiliton Place,and seeing the names listed. Many years ago, in my past, I visited the old neighborhood only to find it somewhat depressing, old and in poor shape. One time in particular I had parked my new "rental car" near West 144th street, and was showing my young children some of the places I lived on Amsterdam Ave, Hamilton Place ( 95 and 115 buildings) when two older African Americans came up to us, and said you'd be better not park here." It wasn't said as a threat, but more it's unsafe here, now that the area has changed. I had told them that I used to live here many years ago. I am glad to hear from Norm, that the area has rebounded, and in looking at the prices of the real estate I wish we had stayed here. Keep up the good work. Matt Waters mattminn@aol.com Hi Anon Tipster 1959. I used to date Carlotta Long & visited her lovely home many times. 147 off Convent as I recall. I often wonder in my old age (69) whatever happened to her & how her life turned out. I did graduate from Dubois in 1960, so I'm very familiar w/the sights & places referenced here. So glad I found this site. Tis That Time of YearThank you SHORPY for another year of nostalgic pictures and comments. Brought to us in Black and White and Living Color. Such fond memories of long ago, especially the itchy bathing suits. In the 1920s and up to the early 1940s, when on or near the beach and boardwalk, boys had to wear the coarse wooolen suits with the tops on at all times. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New York to Dave and staff. Ed and Jackie Woods Our Yearly PlaysI graduated in 1960 after 8 memorable years. I remember our yearly plays in the auditorium and all the hard work and practice we put into it. Father Hart was our pastor and I remember our farewell speech to him. My best friend was Lydia Marin and I remember Maria Santory, Joyce Brown, Maria Matos, Alma Mora, Maureen Quirk. If any of you from this class are around, give a shout. Jackie Erick Class of 1964Class of 1964 where are you guys? Write something here you remember. Do you remember me? OLL Class of 1957Here's the names of the boys' teachers from 1949 to 1957. I think I have then all correct. Grade 1, 1949-1950: Mother Mary Theodosia Grade 2, 1950-1951: Sister Mary Macrina Grade 3, 1951-1952: Mother Mary Eulalia Grade 4, 1952-1953: Mother Mary Declan Grade 5, 1953-1954: Mother Mary Edwards Grade 6, 1954-1955: Mother Maria Del Amor Grade 7, 1955-1956: Mother Mary Euphrates Grade 8, 1956-1957: Mother Mary Rosario Eighteen nuns lived in the convent adjacent to the church on 142nd Street: eight boys' teachers, eight girls' teachers, the school principal, known as the Reverend Mother, and the housekeeper. Six priests and the pastor lived in the rectory on the south side of 142nd Street. OLL was also known as Old Ladies' Laundry. I've written down the names of almost all the boys who, at one point or another, were part of the class of 1957. Only 27 graduated in 1957. Many were expelled in 1956 as part of a crackdown on gang membership. Mother Mary Rosario was brought in to preside over a difficult situation, but after the expulsions her job turned out to be not that complicated. I'll post the list of names another time. Our Lady of Lourdes Alumni ReunionHello out there. I am a current parent at Our Lady of Lourdes. As we enter a new decade, OLL would would like to start planning a few reunions. I am looking for some potential organizers to help us reach out and plan events in the new year. Please reach out if you are interested in planning or connect dots. There are many new happenings at the school. We will be launching a new website by the end of the month with an alumni portion. Thank you! Vanessa vdecarbo@ollnyc.org Class of 1971Hi! I graduated in 1971 and our teacher was Sister Patricia. I remember Marlene Taylor, Karen, Miriam, Dina, Elsie, Maria and Robin, Carla, Margaret and Giselle. Our class was an all girl class. I also remember Sister Rebecca, Sister Theresa, Sister Rosemarie (our history teacher). I continued to Cathedral High School but I miss all my dear classmates. Is there anyone out there who enters this site? My email is n.krelios@yahoo.com I would love to hear from someone. Marlene Taylor became a doctor (wonderful!!!). Shorpy Hall of FameIf there were a Shorpy Hall of Fame, this photo would definitely have to be in the inaugural class. I've enjoyed going through the many comments for this photo going back to 2007 even though I have absolutely no connection to the school other than being Catholic. What is equally as awesome is that a look at the location today via Google Maps indicates that, other than a few trees, fire hydrants, automobiles and removal of the statue, everything is basically the same today. Double DutchKllroy is correct about not much having changed, but it looks like even the foreground fire hydrant is in the same place (but a newer model). It looks like the circa 1914 photographer was set-up on the northeast corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 143rd Street. The Google Maps photo was taken travelling northbound on Amsterdam Avenue. So basically both photos are shot from almost the same location; it is interesting how the vintage image makes 143rd Street appear much shorter than in the Google image. I guess it's the result of different formats and lenses. By the way, the buildings at the far end of the T-intersection, on Convent Avenue (mostly blocked by the trees in the Google image), reflect NYC's Dutch heritage [ETA:] as does "Amsterdam" Avenue. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, G.G. Bain, Kids, NYC)
No Left Turn: 1948
... 20, 1948. "E.R. Squibb & Son, Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, New York. Harold Burson, client." Note the abundance of ... Yard was the largest coach yard in the world. Also In Long Island City The Van Iderstine Rendering Company, founded in 1855 and at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/30/2013 - 12:18pm -

April 20, 1948. "E.R. Squibb & Son, Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, New York. Harold Burson, client." Note the abundance of antique traffic signals and signage. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Nice ChryslerI dig the black Chrysler parked on the corner in front of the American Tire & Battery Co. BenchesI have seen many of those benches around and about. I think the WPA built quite a few of them. A really good idea because there was no need to replace the whole thing when one board was bad but I believe nowadays they have to bolt the boards down. Cross-streetsTo the left, 39th Avenue. To the right, Honeywell Street. Behind the photographer, 32nd Street. And if it wasnt sunny,one could still find their way around because Sunnyside Yard had floodlight towers, similar to the Detroit moonlight towers, and that might be one of them down Honeywell Street on the left. At one time Sunnyside Yard was the largest coach yard in the world. Also In Long Island CityThe Van Iderstine Rendering Company, founded in 1855 and at the time of this photo at 37-30 Review Ave, was the factory that rendered the fat and bones of the slaughter houses into tallow and grease. The worst by-product was an odor that infested not only Queens but the East Side of Manhattan as well. It's Always SunnyThe two big buildings on the right are still there. Not so the small building on the left. Looks like the Transit Authority replaced the below ground electrical works with an above ground facility on the triangle. The Honeywell Avenue bridge crosses over the Sunnyside Rail Yards, used today extensively by Long Island Railroad, NJ Transit and Amtrak (including a car washing station). A few hundred feet to the west are the Pennsylvania RR (now Amtrak) tunnels under the East River to Manhattan's Penn Station. The East Side Access Project is adding a direct link from Sunnyside Yards to Grand Central Terminal. View Larger Map Left to Right1946 Chevrolet Fleetwood Town Sedan, maybe a '46 Mercury in background, '46 Chrysler 4 door sedan, '41 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Sports Sedan (at center island), ?? Chevy 2 door, '48 Pontiac Deluxe Streamliner 4-Door Sedan. The former Squibb buildingIt's now known as the Center Building and will be 100 years old in a couple of years. It recently sold for $85 million, which may seem like a low price for a half-million square feet of Class A office space, but much of it is leased to city agencies at relatively low rents. The building to the right doesn't quite merit a name, and is known simply as 32-04* Northern Boulevard. It was built in 1931. Today it houses a self-storage warehouse, a rather low-value-added usage that is increasingly out of place as Long Island City becomes ever trendier. If present trends continue it'll probably be redeveloped into something else before long, such as expensive condominiums or a boutique hotel. Come to think of it, when the city agency leases in the Center Building expire they're not likely to be renewed. * = the 32 in the 32-04 address indicates the nearest cross street. To facilitate this address scheme the names of most Queens streets were changed to numbers in the 1920's. The old street names live on in some of the older subway stations, for example a nearby station on the 7 train, known as 33rd Street-Rawson. Van IderstineI currently work around 15 blocks from this location, it is amazing how LIC has and is still changing. Most of the industrial base is now gone and is being replaced with high end residences. I still remember Eagle Electric, where perfection is not an accident as per their enormous skeleton sign. Swingline stapler under the El that shook the entire block when their punch press came down. As far as Van Iderstines as mentioned by another poster their plant was on Newtown Creek ,their stack was under the Kosciusco bridge and if you were unlucky enough to be stuck in traffic on a hot summer day on the bridge you were in for quite a treat as the malaria yellow smoke that emanated from their plant enveloped your car. After close to 100 years of complaints the city finally managed to shut them down in the late 70's. But not to worry they have reopened in Newark under the Jersey Turnpike near the airport. That Triangular Tractis a gore. Cars1946 Chevrolet "Stylemaster" Town sedan in front of the Chrysler. The Chevy next to the '48 Pontiac Streamliner looks to be a 1947 Stylemaster town sedan. 32-04 Northern Blvd.the building to the right, was bought by food wholesaler John Sexton and Company in 1946. Now doing duty as a Public Storage location. As some of the other posters mentioned, will more than likely become high-end condos. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Island Rockers: 1904
... retreat that didn't require a great deal of travel. The Long Island Rail Road's Greenport terminal was, and is, adjacent to one of the ... with two n's. Manhasset is a town at the other end of Long Island. - Dave] Error corrected. Both spellings are variants of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/03/2014 - 3:13pm -

Circa 1904. "North veranda, Manhanset House, Shelter Island, N.Y." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. House on Fire!The Manhanset House has suffered several fires as it seems: both before (August 14, 1896 according to an article in The New York Times), and after this picture had been taken (May 10, 1910). Let the fun beginWhat time does the show start? Looks like they are in serious need of a recreation director or social go-between. I'm sure they expected a bit more than just sitting on the porch and looking at each other. Watching Paint DryEgads! No one really looks like they are having a good time here. I can't imagine what it would be like, dressed in those clothes on a hot day. Resort HotelsManhasset Manhanset House and the somewhat smaller Prospect House catered to mainly middle-class city residents who sought a bucolic summertime retreat that didn't require a great deal of travel. The Long Island Rail Road's Greenport terminal was, and is, adjacent to one of the two Shelter Island ferries, and the ferry ride itself took under ten minutes. Both resort hotels, which dated to the late 1800's, fell out of favor after World War I as vacation preferences changed. Prospect House burned down in 1942 and Manhanset House followed a few years later. Shelter Island remains a popular vacation spot today, with the year-round population of 2,000+ more than quadrupling in the summer, but it caters to a more upscale crowd. It's also popular with day-trippers, though the main disadvantage is that the woods are loaded with the type of ticks that carry Lyme Disease. [The resort is Manhanset, with two n's. Manhasset is a town at the other end of Long Island. - Dave] Error corrected. Both spellings are variants of the name of the same Indian tribe. 4th of JulyThe rockers' red glare referred to this. What this group needsis a few smartphones, laptops and iPads to give relevance and meaning to their lives. The poor souls appear to be stuck with a couple of newspapers and the daunting prospect of actually having to communicate verbally with one another. (The Gallery, DPC, Travel & Vacation)
Chrysler Building: 1932
... a comment on the recent string of NYC photos. I grew up on Long Island and could see lower Manhattan from my school's playground. I always ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:52pm -

Jan. 19, 1932. "View from Empire State Bldg. to Chrysler Building and Queensboro Bridge, low viewpoint." 5x7 negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. For a moment...I was wondering where the Empire State Building was! Then I read the caption. What an amazing photo this is. Dave, you're outdoing yourself lately. Gottscho's negatives are a true treasure. Is this backwardsHas this photo been mirrored? The empire state building is to the southwest of the Chrysler building, which is southwest of the bridge. [Whoops. It was backwards. Now fixed. Thank you! - Dave] Welfare IslandThe Queensboro Bridge that connects Manhattan to Queens is seen straddling Roosevelt Island, a residential community of some 12,000 people. There are rentals, co-ops, and condos and it is a self contained community with some of the best views of Manhattan. Its predecessor was called Welfare Island and housed the city's tuberculosis hospital, before that it was known as Blackwell's Island, which was a prison complex and insane asylum. Roosevelt Island is connected to Manhattan by a tramway (59th Street) and a newer subway station (IND on the 63rd St Line). It can be approached by car or truck from the Queens side. The founders fought hard to make it part of Manhattan and not Queens, it has a Manhattan Zip Code, 10044, and Area Code, 212. Speaking of directionsIsn't that the Sydney Harbour Bridge out in the distance in the top-left corner? Great work DavePlease keep the NYC views coming, They have been great. This one is my new desktop wallpaper. Thanks for your tireless efforts. [You're (pant, gasp) very welcome! - Dave] Negative CommentIs the negative reversed here? It seems like the East River should be on the right, not the left. [Maybe it's the West River. - Dave] [Thanks for fixing it! Can you switch faucets, too? My hot is cold and my vice is versa.- Delworthio] Same ViewpointI believe I snapped a photo from the same viewpoint at Mr. Gottscho 70 years later on the occasion of my 40th birthday - November 1, 2002. Why, why, whyWhy, why, why is this picture so much more beautiful and magical and fascinating and dreamy than your average cityscape of today on film? Is it gothic/nouveau/art deco subject matter + the technique + the hardware? I don't know, but I sure love it. Equal TimeWashingtonians have had their day for quite some time now and New York is having its day in the sun, thanks to Dave. Can San Francisco be far behind? What happen?When I look at the magnificent architecture of these old pre-1950 buildings and compare them to the unimaginative glass boxes of today- I wonder- what happen? My first visit to NYCMany years ago my father took me to NYC for the boat show and we walked for miles seeing the sights. He took us to Macy's, St. Patrick's, Radio City and the top of the Empire State Building. Somewhere I have snapshots from the observation deck, all four directions at that. I'll have to find them and see how they compare. GasometersThe gas holders by the bridge caught my eye. I didn't realize how huge they are - a lot of the nearby buildings could fit inside one. Similar tanks were pictured in this previous post. It was positiveThe canyons of mid-Manhattan were places of positive joy for a early 20-something guy attending television and radio production school at RCA Institutes in 1963. At the time I held a grand position as mail boy in the then-General Electric Building at 570 Lexington Ave. (to the left behind the Waldorf Towers in the photo), and my dad had an office in the Empire State Building at the time. Apropos of nothing, I once saw Van Johnson striding down Broadway in a trench coat walking a brace of Afghan hounds. Ah, those truly were the days, my friend! Re: Speaking of directions>> Isn't that the Sydney Harbour Bridge out in the distance in the top-left corner? Kind of, it's the Hell Gate Bridge, which turned out to be an inspiration for the SHB. Also seen here on Shorpy. Another stunner!Another stunning view. And just when I'd thought I had found my favorite Shorpy picture....These cityscapes always blow me away. KEEP "EM COMING! Amazing!This is my new wallpaper, replacing the Detroit Aquarium. The 59th St. Bridge has never looked so good. Frustratingly, my neighborhood in Queens is just to the right of the frame. I got a kick out of seeing both the 3rd and the 2nd El's in the lower right corner. These have both been torn down now. You can read about them here. Re: White CastleNew York Hospital. Now Weill Cornell Medical Center. EvocativeWhen I look at this photo (and the other Gottschos), it summons up a lifetime's worth of emotion in viewing the astonishing landscape of the Capital of the World and I am yearning again for a city that has no equal anywhere. And to echo the tenor of several of the commentators, this period in time was perhaps the New York era ne plus ultra. Thanks again, Dave. What's that cool building?What's the building about a block to the left of the Chrysler building, with gothic arches near the top and what appears to be a penthouse with skylight? Is it still standing? The current viewYou can almost duplicate this view using Google Earth's 3D buildings feature. The building in the lower left is the Mercantile building, finished in 1929. The building with the gothic arches is the Lincoln Building and still stands. Cool Lincoln BuildingThe "cool" building with the Gothic Arches is the Lincoln Building at 60 East 42nd Street. I used to work in it. And yes it is still there! Seen clearly in this viewSeen clearly in this view are the towers at 295 Madison Avenue (SE corner of 41st Street) and 230 Park Avenue (now the Helmsley Building, between 45th and 46th Streets), the latter of which is surrounded by the east and west ramps of Park Avenue, as are the Met Life (once the Pan Am) building and the Grand Central Terminal complex. I worked at 295 Madison in 1959-60, and later at 230 Park in 1977-1981. It's great to see these classical skyscraper buildings again, and to hope they are never demolished for one of those glass monstrosities so prevalent today in this part of Manhattan. Perfect TimingBy coincidence, the Knowledge Channel here in Canada has recently been re-running Ric Burns's excellent documentary "New York." Watching the series again and seeing these great images on Shorpy is perfect timing. I can almost hear the splendid narrative of the documentary in my head as I gaze upon these wonderful photographs. More please! White CastleCan anyone identify the big gleaming complex on the river, north of the bridge? I'm guessing its around the E 70s. I can't spy anything like that in Google Maps or Earth and it seems like a mighty big object to disappear. Maybe it was in Robert Moses' way when building FDR Drive? [It's still there. New York Hospital. - Dave] The City is beautiful, but..I've been waiting to make a comment on the recent string of NYC photos. I grew up on Long Island and could see lower Manhattan from my school's playground. I always wanted to know what the skyline looked like before my time. That said, the hardest thing for me to realize is that although this view is absolutely stunning, it was taken at the height of the Great Depression. I cannot reconcile the stories of suffering and privation that led to my grandfather running away from his home not too far uptown from here and only four years after this picture was taken (at age 14) with the gleaming monuments to mankind that compose this photograph. SurroundedAhh, I see it, thnx. Wow, the neighborhood really grew, it doesn't stand out as much. The cool building is... The Chanin Building. You can see it in the 2002 photo I posted below. [Actually the "cool building" referred to below is the Lincoln Building. - Dave] Old pics vs new pics>> Why is this picture so much more beautiful and magical and fascinating and dreamy than your average cityscape of today on film? Is it gothic/nouveau/art deco subject matter + the technique + the hardware? A good question, not easy to answer-- but some people still take above-average cityscapes, e.g. http://www.pbase.com/rfcd100/image/83470981/original Gigapans from this viewpoint...Hi - I just completed a series of view from the Empire State Building. Can't really embed any of the photos, as they are several hundred megabytes each (10MB images stitched together), but here is a link with a view of the Chrysler Building. If you want more, simply search the gigapan.org website for my pictures (search for "JohnF" there), there are a number of them from New York and elsewhere... http://gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=30511 John Legos or a Video GameI love this photograph. At first glance it looks surreal, like it is a Lego block building set or a video game where you build a city empire. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Over the River: 1909
... tower. The masonry pier of the third tower marks the Long Island City shoreline. In front of it is the Blackwell's Island warden's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 6:57pm -

New York circa 1909. "East River and Blackwell's Island Bridge," a.k.a. the Queensboro Bridge or the 59th Street Bridge, around the time of its completion. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. SinisterWow. Bridge into Mordor, right? Look!Midspan on the lower level, a trolley is heading towards Queens on what today is the outer roadway to Queens. New York Architectural Terra Cotta Co.From 1886 to 1928 this was one of the leading manufacturers of terra cotta, which was used for such landmarks as the Ansonia Hotel and Carnegie Hall. To the Island Below From the time the bridge opened until the mid-1950s trolley cars operated over the bridge. For much of this time the service included a stop in the middle of the bridge to access a ramp to an adjacent building containing elevators that could transport passengers down to the island below, which was by then called Welfare Island (now known as Roosevelt Island). Between 1930 and 1955 elevators for motor vehicle access to the island were also operated, via a ramp from the bridge to this building. The island then contained a number of hospitals and some jail facilities, and the elevators were the only public access route until a direct bridge from Queens was built in 1955. Feelin'Groooovy. +95Below is the same view from August of 2004 (previously seen in a very similar view here: https://www.shorpy.com/Queensboro-Bridge) Which wayWhat direction are we looking in? East? I lived near the bridge in what's called the Projects on Vernon Boulevard. As a kid I used to take the trolley with my parents to Manhattan to attend church on Second Avenue and 69th Street. [The building shown is on Vernon Boulevard in Queens. So this is looking east. - Dave] Queensbridge and the Trolley Swan SongQueensbridge projects went up 30 years later. It's hard to get your bearings on the photo. It flattens things and Blackwell's Island blocks our view of the rest of the river. In foreground: West Channel of East River. Three of the bridge's four steel towers are visible. The East Channel is not; it is as wide as the span between the second and third tower. The masonry pier of the third tower marks the Long Island City shoreline. In front of it is the Blackwell's Island warden's mansion. Beyond the third tower is the last of the bridge truss work, ending at a fourth pier sitting on the Queensbridge side of Vernon Boulevard. The domed masonry tower rising along side the bridge is part of the fourth pier. It has a twin - obscured here - on the north side of the pier. Each tower has a doorway downstairs on the sidewalk. The projects cover a lot of ground, and if Vernon was closer to your apartment than Queens Plaza, you could enter a doorway and take the elevator up to the trolley. It's tough to picture where the projects would later be, but it can be done. Through the archway of the second tower you see a row of three-story buildings. They are on the east side of Vernon, across the street from our south "elevator tower". The spot marks the southwest corner of the projects. In front of the buildings you see a wooded area lying on the river side of Vernon. Follow it to the left past the archway, to the arched pier of the first tower (note the boat's sail in the East Channel), past the pier to the house lying in sunshine. The house and the telephone poles along the stretch are on Blackwell's Island. Here the woods on the far side end, and across Vernon marks the northwest corner of the projects. The wooded area became a park in 1935 - today's Queensbridge Park. Many a "home" game was played here, with "road" games a trolley ride away at the field hugging the bridge on the Manhattan side. April, 1957 was the trolley's last trip, concluding the streetcar age for the city and the state. Take the trip: (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
Flats Fixed: 1937
... Who can locate the intersection? View full size. Long Island If this is NY State Route 25, and based on the design of the ... well be, then somewhere along the rolling North Shore of Long Island -- Manhasset, perhaps? The flowers for sale often indicate a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/08/2013 - 11:50am -

An uncaptioned photo from a group of pictures taken by Edwin Rosskam in the Northeast in the late 1930s. Who can locate the intersection? View full size. Long IslandIf this is NY State Route 25, and based on the design of the sign it could well be, then somewhere along the rolling North Shore of Long Island -- Manhasset, perhaps? The flowers for sale often indicate a cemetery or hospital nearby. That's all I have. The former 25D ran where the LIE does nowSee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_25D H-m-m-m-mI can't help but wonder if this entrepreneur kept a box of tacks handy for use when business was slow. Outward BoundRoute 25D is Horace Harding Boulevard. It starts in Queens and winds its way through Nassau County as the northerly service road of the Long Island Expressway, alternately known as Interstate 495, or the World's Longest Parking Lot. Close-Up PleaseThat is a NY State historical marker diagonally across the intersection. If we could get an enlargement of that sign, and/or what appears to be the road sign on the short pole to the left of the leftmost phone pole, we could possibly nail it down. [That's a road sign, not a historical marker. The other sign says 25D. - Dave] Thanks for the close-up, Dave. East WillistonI can almost make out the first name on the road sign as being "East Williston." That town is south of what used to be Route 25D, near that road's eastern end. If this is correct, most likely we are looking in a generally SE direction at the intersection of 25D and Roslyn Road, and the cars are heading north on Roslyn Road. Taking a ShotJudging by the shadows, the bloom on the trees, and knowing that 25D ran east/west, I would guess the cars are heading west, and we are looking N/NE. [25D runs to the left and right. It's not the road the cars are on. - Dave] Days of My YouthI lived just a short walk south of the old Horace Harding Blvd., off Main Street in Flushing. During summers, I would walk up to the boulevard to watch the construction - at that point, the roadway was being depressed to create a level overpass for Main Street and other streets. Quite a project. Staged Photo?Did the photographer set this one up? Wouldn't the "flats fixed" message normally face the road? [Maybe the flat-fixer was out to lunch, or perhaps only time-sharing the spot with the florist. -tterrace] Could it be?Could this be what is now the intersection of Bates Road and Horace Harding Boulevard in Lake Success, NY? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Edwin Rosskam)
Beach Policeman: 1922
... 1963 This very thing happened to me in high school on Long Island!! I think I know what job I want when I grow up The boys may ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/31/2022 - 12:51am -

        Commemorating the Potomac Thighway Patrol's 100th anniversary, and one of Shorpy's most popular posts -- June 30, 1922. "Washington policeman Bill Norton measuring the distance between knee and suit at the Tidal Basin bathing beach after Col. Sherrill, Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds, issued an order that suits not be over six inches above the knee." 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. This poor guy would have a stroke......if he could see what our high schoolers are wearing to summer school this summer. I honestly don't know where to put my eyes. And obesity does NOT stop them from wearing too little and revealing too much. I wish I could "un-see" some of this summer's ensembles! (Rolls of exposed fat, ripples, dimples, man breasts, and so much more...) Side note: What you are hearing in the media about the increase of obesity among America's young people is true. As they entered the building today with their doughnuts and Gatorades and Rock Stars (breakfast they buy at convenience stores on the way to school!), I realized that the summer FACULTY is more trim and fit than the summer school STUDENT BODY. Of course, we *do* have a lot of coaches, male and female, working this summer, but still... Oh my God, it's the REALOh my God, it's the REAL bikini inspector! Bathing Suits RequirementsNo kidding! My grandmother was arrested in the early 1900's for showing too much leg at a beach on Lake Michigan. Great pictures.... Al . Sacramento, Ca. Modesty, Please!Today he'd be looking for thongs. I wonder what the next step is. Looking upI'm sure he hated his job!! Yeah right!! Today he couldlook for bulbous folks who have no business wearing Spandex My only question is...Where are the beaches in Washington, DC?!?! [Along the Potomac or Anacostia rivers. This is probably near the Tidal Basin. - Dave] Beaches in DCIs that the Washington Monument in the distance? With the Smithsonian Castle over to the right? That might put this at the swimming beach where the Jefferson Memorial is now. Its a tough jobbut somebody's got to do it!!! heaven forbidmen see more flesh than is already present...they just wouldn't be able to control themselves...monsters that they are... RE: This poor guy would have a stroke...Awww... but these are sure some nice pictures on this site, eh? sadthis picture is so disheartening. not saying that measuring women's bathing suits isn't a bit humiliating and patronizingly obnoxious, but why are our teenagers pretending they're porn stars?! ["Pretending"? - Dave] MemoriesI remember being a kid and having someone measure the distance between my knee and my shorts. Even though you knew what you wore was long enough, it never stopped the butterflies caused by wondering if the man doing the measuring was going to think they were too short! What an embarrassing time! Re: SadJust because some bratty little kids dress in very little at all doesn't mean they're pretending to be filming an adult movie. I'm sure there are people at the time of this picture who were offended by the girl's skimpy suits, but you don't really have to go off calling them porn stars. Beach policemanNotice how they aren't measuring the men. Well, look at the girls.Well, look at the girls. He's more like the "cover yourself up, fatty" inspector. Too bad we don't have those today... Re: Well, look at the girls.You're an idiot. That's what real women used to look like before the media and anorexia started coming down on everyone. You think they had Twinkies and Ding Dongs back then to gorge on, while sitting in front of the TV? Those girls are not overweight. Your tiny mind has been warped by today's sick society. D.C. "beach"The area where the Jefferson Memorial is today was once a segregated public beach. Good Work If You Can Get ItSo, did she pass inspection? I Knew It!I've suspected for some time that my job sucked. Now I have photographic proof! The SwimmerI like that she's leaning forward. I'm pretty sure that'll slide the fabric down at least a little. Way to work the system, bathing suit girl! Double Standards???I don't see any men in the picture, but do notice the boys in the background are wearing essentially the same outfits, which modern boys would consider somewhat uncomfortable, I'd bet. You can see from the marks……above her knees that she had taken off her stockings only a short time before the picture was taken. For the sake of HumanityIt's obvious that what our parents taught us didn't matter to us, nor did they care for their parents as well. People had envy for their integrity and honor, and people cared for one another as if they were family, it's sad to see our world slope down to a level beyond wearing bikinis, to a level where we are happy how our children become more and more as adults to copy what we call "celebrities" and where short skirts and show skin. In my search I have found the answer and the solution to this problem, I have found a religion so great. Over time and as skin began to increase people see it as being normal, and that covering up is so abnormal, demeaning and a violation to one's rights, it's the beginning of humanity where Adam and Eve try to cover up, it's in our nature, in reality I found what integrity really means, to me and my family. Although I am double searched at airports because of my religion but in the end I am happy and can lift my head up high, and be proud of our honor, and what we have become in a hateful and evil world. [So in this evil, bikini-wearing world, you're finally feeling good about yourself? Super. - Dave] On Our KneesWhen one can determine what the appropriate amount is required to be modest, then the only fashion will be that one definition... A lot of people need to evolve.. Hmmm. 1922?Nice pic - but perhaps the foreground images are a little bright, sharp and contrasty for a 1922 image? And a right click of the mouse and a quick squizz at the image properties reveal the use of a $25,000 Sinar digital camera back - and Photoshop CS3. Surely digitizing with a normal film or flatbed scanner would have been more appropriate? I do hope I'm wrong and that they are the real thing but...... Hmmmm. [These images were digitized using a Sinar 54 scan back and then adjusted for contrast and turned from tiffs into jpegs with Photoshop CS3. - Dave] ScannerDon't get your point - I would expect you to use a scanner - either a film or flatbed type - to scan these rather than a digital camera. Just curious to know why all the pix on the site put through the Sinar look slightly unnatural for their time, that's all. Maybe we're all used to faded images from the period. [You wouldn't use a film scanner because there is no film -- these images were recorded on glass plates the size of windowpanes. Flatbed scanners are more suited to reflective media (prints) than transmissive media (glass plates, film transparencies, negatives). Plus, flatbed scanners would be much too slow. The single-exposure scan back (in this instance, made by the Swiss firm Sinar) is standard equipment in a lot of archival facilities where hundreds or thousands of images have to be processed every day. The principle behind each scanning method is the same, though -- light shines through the transmissive media being digitized and hits a semiconductor array. - Dave] NecklacesThey have to be mother and daughter, related somehow...Matching necklaces...can we get a zoom in of the Medallions... please.. Dave? (Love this site by the way) [Those are claim tags for the changing-room lockers. - Dave] Integrity IS hard to find!It's really sad to be a 21 year old girl these days. Everyone I know is getting on their knees to get male attention instead of being subtle or witty. I'm reading and drinking coffee with my nose in a book. I think I've got the right idea, and my joints are no worse for the wear. Washington PolicemanThe policeman in question is a member of the United States Park Police. At the time they were under the control of the Bureau of Public Buildings and Grounds. They eventually were transferred to the National Park Service when the Bureau of Public Buildings and Grounds was reorganized to create the General Services Administration.(GSA got the buildings and the Park Service got the grounds). Some Warning, PleaseDave! Please! I had to clean my morning tea off my monitor. Too funny! Fat Was Beautiful"Plump" was a compliment in those days. Look at the first 10 Miss America winners (not to mention Playboy centerfolds). The current idea that "Bony is Beautiful" is of fairly recent development and is a forced denigration of all that makes women biologically successful. (For the "Yeah...sour grapes" crowd, I'm 5'2" and weigh 97 lbs. I wish I had a little more padding.) Pull over miss!Pull over miss while I wrap my fingers around your knee cap! I bet his mother, his wife, his children, and his in-laws are so proud. How does he explain to his children what he does for a living? Yes, my dad measures women's bathing suits at the beach. Sooo funny. Nope, Madonna wouldn't put up with this. Note the little boy carrying (I think) a brownie camera in the back. See him in actionYou can see our man in action in this YouTube movie, round the 3:10 and 3:40 mark. Presidential dippingI notice the location may be along the Potomac. A trivia fact is that President John Quincy Adams loved to swim nude in the Potomac. Reminders of mini-skirtsForty-six years after this, I was a freshman at Fort Knox High School. While the fashion was for skirts to be several inches above the knee, at FKHS, if they thought someone's skirt was too short, they would make her kneel on the floor. If her skirt didn't touch the ground, they could send her home to change. The very young VP was generally the one who did that. Since I had grown four inches taller in the previous few months, but my dresses hadn't, I did my best to avoid him! Taking no chancesThe young girl on the extreme left is definitely not going to drown as she is wearing TWO, not just one, inner tubes around her waist and keeps them on either in or out of the water. Better safe than sorry. Touch my leg??!!Is this the origin of the expression "cop a feel"? Just wondering. A perfect illustrationof bureaucratic inefficiency. What's with the tape measure? If the law says six inches, all he needs to measure with is something six inches long, that he can press against ladies thighs. Hmmm.... [That wouldn't have made as effective a photo. This was shot for newspaper distribution. - tterrace] Oh, it would have made an effective photo alright! I doubt they could have printed it in the newspaper, though. Not Park PoliceHe is wearing a Metropolitan Police badge. Very PresidentialI always wondered what FDR did in the 20's before becoming president! The measure of a manMr. Sherrill had definite ideas about things -- "But this did not satisfy them""They wanted to play golf on the same days and at the same time as the white people." Imagine! [Really. The nerve of some people! - Dave] Get Back in Your BurkaWhy the ladies don't kick sand in the face of this doofus is a good question. I'm guessing the boys standing just behind are wearing suits just as short. 1963This very thing happened to me in high school on Long Island!! I think I know what job I want when I grow upThe boys may be thinking this is the job for them! (The Gallery, Bizarre, Curiosities, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
Phipps Garden: 1940
... May 17, 1940. "Phipps Garden Apartments, 5101 39th Avenue, Long Island City, New York. Clarence S. Stein, architect." Hanging with a big ... photo's caption notwithstanding, Phipps Garden is not in Long Island City. As the name of its neighbor Sunnyside Gardens suggests, it's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2014 - 10:04am -

May 17, 1940. "Phipps Garden Apartments, 5101 39th Avenue, Long Island City, New York. Clarence S. Stein, architect." Hanging with a big girl whose feet touch the ground. Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. An early housing experimentPhipps Gardens is still a desirable development after all these years. It's owned and managed by a nonprofit corporation, with apartments made available at affordable rents to people who meet income guidelines. The concept is similar to the neighboring and larger Sunnyside Gardens, though the latter development is a cooperative rather than rentals. Both developments were inspired by the English "Garden City" movement and built by a corporation headed by various dignitaries including Eleanor Roosevelt. The idea was that providing working-class people with (relatively) low density housing that included ample open space would cure many of the social ills associated with tenement life. Whether or not that experiment succeeded or not is hard to say, but given that the developments remain quite nice today a qualified "yes" may be in order. The photo's caption notwithstanding, Phipps Garden is not in Long Island City. As the name of its neighbor Sunnyside Gardens suggests, it's in the Sunnyside neighborhood. While Long Island City has gotten a bigger influx of affluent people who work in Manhattan, Sunnyside is a desirable neighborhood itself with its tree-lined streets and a bit of a small town feel. In the 1940's and 1950's it was known as New York's nursery on account of the high birthrate among the young families living in the area. Current view of Phipps Garden: View Larger Map BenefactorHenry Phipps (1839-1930) grew up poor in a Pittsburgh tenement and became a friend of a neighbor, the Scottish immigrant, Andrew Carnegie. He worked for Carnegie as a bookkeeper. Carnegie Steel was merged with the steel companies controlled by another Robber Baron, Henry Clay Frick in 1901. Phipps part of the deal earned him $69.5 million, worth today, just slightly south of 2 Billion. His family Bank, the Bessemer Trust, controlled now by his Great Grandson, Stuart S. Janney III, was able to increase the net worth many times. Phipps became a Philanthropist building affordable housing for NYC Working People. Thousand of housing units have been built over those years, including those in today's Blog. Attached is a shot of Henry Phipps Plaza in the Kips Bay Section of Manhattan. HeyHula Hoops weren't invented till the 60's, what is that? [Wham-O's hula hoop dates from 1958, but hoop rolling has been around for centuries. -tterrace] Sunnyside/Astoria/Long Island CityPhipps is in zip 11104; the post office's preferred designation is Sunnyside, but Long Island City and Astoria are also acceptable for parts of the zip. For a while in college I was a Fuller Brush salesman in this general area. Lots of 4-6 story walkups. I didn't last too long. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, Kids, NYC)
Bar Car: 1955
September 1955. Lloyd's Neck, Long Island, New York. "Arden field trials for spaniels." 35mm Kodachrome by ... assignment "Sporting Look: Field Trip at Marshall Field's Long Island Estate near Cold Spring Harbor." View full size. Action, ... One of the largest (1700+ acres) of the Gilded Age Long Island estates, Caumsett (as the Marshall Field estate was known) is now a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2023 - 3:46pm -

September 1955. Lloyd's Neck, Long Island, New York. "Arden field trials for spaniels." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Sporting Look: Field Trip at Marshall Field's Long Island Estate near Cold Spring Harbor." View full size. Action, pleaseThis could easily be a still from a forgotten comedy with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. In one second, Rock and his friend, played by Tony Randall, will enter the frame and a wacky situation will develop quickly. Non-Bar CarLeading the way is a green and white 1954 Buick. Car bottleMy dad always kept a car bottle in the trunk, and I now do, as well. But neither of us had a setup like this! MoviesMovie I think of re this scene is "Man's Favorite Sport" with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Bar CarA 1955 DeSoto is bringing up the rear with the good stuff! Booze, cigars, cigarettes, cars (and maybe some guns). What can possibly go wrong? Booze in the TrunkMy uncle had a little liquor suitcase like that, about half that size. When I would travel with his family, he wold pull it out in the hotel room and make himself a martini or two (or three). It had all the ingredients and a shaker too. His brother, my father, didn't drink, probably because of his older brother's booze fueled escapades when they were younger. What can go wrong with an Old Fashioned?Just press the button marked B for Booze. Park HereSix years later this Marshall Field estate became a New York State Park. It is called Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx Ain't no party like a Lloyd's Neck partyGuns, cars, and alcohol. What could go wrong? The License PlateIn those days, New York State would issue new license plates, with new numbers, to each vehicle every two years. The color scheme would be reversed, so one year you'd have orange ("gold") plates with black numbers, which would be replaced by black plates with orange numbers. It was a real pain having to change those plates and send the old ones in (the screws tended to rust badly), so by the mid-'60s the state began issuing stickers, and you would put them on the old rear plate. You weren't supposed to turn in your plates until they became unreadable. Now part of Caumsett state parkI grew up less than 5 miles from here. The Marshall Field estate house is now part of Caumsett State Park. It's a nice place for a walk. CaumsettOne of the largest (1700+ acres) of the Gilded Age Long Island estates, Caumsett (as the Marshall Field estate was known) is now a state park occupying a third of Lloyd Neck: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx Top of the Line DeSotoThe bar-car is a 1955 DeSoto Fireflite. The Fireflite was introduced in 1955 to be the premium DeSoto model. The model was built until 1960 when the DeSoto brand was discontinued by Chrysler Corporation. [We actually can't be sure what model this is. The script next to the taillight says "PowerFlite," the name of DeSoto's automatic transmission. - Dave] SI in the 1950s - Documenting a different worldSports Illustrated used to cover hunting and card playing (a lot). Watching others play sports was a much smaller part of life back in the day, it would seem. It's Field Trials for spanielsFor all you people saying firearms and guns what can go wrong. It's just field trials on pointing out ring neck pheasants for hunting dogs. There are NO firearms involved at this event. [Um, no. Field trials involve shooting and retrieving. - Dave] I beg to differ Dave …No firearms no hunting license visible. Any responsible hunter does NOT mix alcohol and ammunition. [Can you not read? Can you not see the photos accompanying the article about this event? Hello?? - Dave] What could go wrong?Guns, alcohol, cars (and tobacco, besides)- what could go wrong? Fortunately, this was Long Island, not Harlan County, Kentucky. Shooting involvedThe dogs were retrieving birds shot down to order. I did enjoy reading this for the colorfulness of the language and for the emphasis on testing the dog: “The dog stopped instantly, dropping to his haunches, and sat marking the game bird’s flight, every muscle aquiver with intense eagerness. ‘Ride it out,’ signaled the judge, and the gunner held his fire in recognition of the request for a ‘long fall.’ At the crack of the gun, the pen-raised bird crumpled and slanted down into the high cover which bordered the woods, foretelling the difficult retrieving task for which the judge had hoped.” Black and White Scotch whisky Makes sense to drink that for people who like dogs. My mistake.Read? Yes. The article? No ... I based my postings on the bar car picture and missed the 'read article here' Begging for a thousand pardons Dave. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dogs, Toni Frissell)
Death Star: 1902
... in the city, leading east to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Long Island and west to the world's largest store, Macy's, and continuing to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/25/2023 - 12:40pm -

Circa 1902. "The Waldorf-Astoria, New York." The original, and somewhat forbidding, Waldorf at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. Complete with the obligatory windowsill milk bottle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. OK - I give up.What's an "obligatory windowsill milk bottle?" [A familiar sight on these pages. Left out to chill. - Dave] It stood for less than 40 yearsTorn down in 1929 to make way for the Empire State Building. The storks also deliver milk!It's amazing that, in addition to tiny babes, the storks are also adept at delivering windowsill milk bottles.... 7 stories high! 34th StreetThe street on the north side, the one with the trolley, appears narrower than it is today. It may be an optical illusion but it seems to be missing a lane on both sides. Today 34th Street is one of the busiest in the city, leading east to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Long Island and west to the world's largest store, Macy's, and continuing to the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey and points beyond. This of course, takes nothing away from the magnificent old Waldorf or its successor, the landmarked Empire State Building. Police HatAlways a little tip-off on the season to check the hats of the cops. The gray ones were worn in summer, blue in Winter. Likewise with the straw hats. There was a season for them, much like we used to say about white pants. There was the famous "straw hat riot" in 1922 where a bunch of street toughs started ripping the skimmers off men who'd worn them after the agreed-upon cut-off date. [Probably the best seasonal tipoff: Windowsill milk bottles! - Dave] v = ?(2gx)Given the generous "no walk" zones at sidewalk level, do you suppose the engineers took the milk bottle "Oops Factor" into consideration? Movie SetLooks like Sigourney Weaver's apartment building in "Ghostbusters." [Which was on Central Park West. - Dave] It may be cold outside but it's sure hot in here!I guess the steam heat was cranking because there are an awful lot of open windows. It Hyphened One NightThe Waldorf-Astoria was originally built as 2 separate hotels by feuding members of the Astor family. The Waldorf on the left (the shorter half) was built in 1983 1883, and the Astoria on the right was completed in 1897. The two were soon operated as one hotel, but it's apparently possible to separate them back into two distinct entities if needed. One assumes that ..you could get a Waldorf Salad here. And screwdrivers. The Waldorf SaladIt seems like Doghouse Riley has been watching too many Fawlty Tower reruns, as well as myself. The Waldorf Salad episode is one of my favorites. Astor CourtThe banner on top of the short building on the right probably reads "Astor Court" - not "Astoria." The Astor Court Building stood just west of the private alley (also called Astor Court) that separated it from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. All of this became part of the site of the Empire State Building. Tricks of the House WreckersModern Mechanics featured the demolition of the Waldorf Astoria in the June 1930 issue. Click to enlarge. Penthouse ViewsWhat would the uses of the top several floors be in this building? They are very unusual; the arrangement, size and shape of the top floor windows. Actuallythe name was the Waldorf=Astoria! The "=" sign was put in because the cousins who built the two side by side hotel couldn't agree on whose name would be first in the new name! I would have loved to have stayed here, even in the smallest room. The old family homesteadAccording to an old family legend, an ancestor of mine once had his farm at this location in the early 19th century. I'm sure he'd kick himself If he could see what the property values were now! What a beauty!I'd like to live there those times and see it with my own eyes! Maitre d' MarcosMy grandfather Marcel Burgos was maitre d' for this Waldorf for many years during the 1920s. My dad told many stories about him. Anybody out there have any records of any employes from there? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Out for a Spin: 1904
... and Patchogue Avenue are in two very different parts of Long Island. And Shelter Island sits even farther away, out between the forks at the far eastern end of Long Island. The car I found a photo of another example of the car, in a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/23/2019 - 12:06pm -

Circa 1904. "Patchogue Avenue, Manhanset Manor, Shelter Island, N.Y." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. If you don't like my drivingkeep off the grass. A Country Song Comes to Mind"Jesus take the Tiller!" Wondering1902 Flint Roadster, maybe? One of 149?The vehicle in view appears to be a 1903 Pierce Stanhope, of which 149 were made. The carThat looks like a Studebaker Electric. Not an electricThere's a radiator under the front valence (which is hiding a folded-up seat). LimericksThere once was a man from Nantucket Who kept all his cash in a bucket. His daughter, named Nan, Ran away with a man And as for the bucket, Nantucket Pa followed the pair to Pawtucket, The man and the girl with the bucket; He said to the man, "You're welcome to Nan", But as for the bucket, Pawtucket. The pair followed Pa to Manhasset, Where he still held the cash as an asset, But Nan and the man Stole the money and ran, And as for the bucket, Manhasset. (Yes, there is another Man from Nantucket limerick, but we won't go there) Maybe they're lost?I'm having some trouble making sense of the address given in the description here. In the present day, at least, Manhasset and Patchogue Avenue are in two very different parts of Long Island. And Shelter Island sits even farther away, out between the forks at the far eastern end of Long Island. The carI found a photo of another example of the car, in a similar position, for comparison. Tough Life?Oh, the poverty in this neighborhood! 8 Gardiner Way This was somewhat difficult to find, as "Patchogue Avenue" has since been renamed and there is no town today called "Manhasset" on Shelter Island. Thank you to the Rumsey Historical Map Collection! Where should I park, dear? "Park the car anywhere you like, honey!" RE: 8 Gardiner Way | Maybe they're lost?If memory serves, there was a Manhasset Hotel on Shelter Island (on the north shore of Shelter Island, near the modern day Gardiner Way) that burned down in the early 1900s --named for the Manahasit Native American tribe local to the area; the town of Manhasset that is quite a bit west of Shelter Island on the north shore of Long Island was also named after them. I believe there were even some old photos of the hotel posted here a while back. [You are perhaps thinking of Manhanset (not "Manhasset") House, on Dering Harbor. - Dave] Yup; Long Island I'm good at; spelling, not so much. Lots of locales on Long Island named with variations of the local Native American tribes of the area. The house pictured can also be found at this address: 8 Gardiner Way, Dering Harbor, New York. [Further research reveals that the village at the time was called Manhanset Manor (location of the Manhanset House and Cottages resort); in 1915 the name was changed to Dering Harbor. The Library of Congress errs in correcting the place name "Manhanset" to "Manhasset" in these Shelter Island captions; Manhasset is much farther west on Long Island, in Nassau County. The item below is from the Oct. 30, 1915, issue of Brooklyn Life. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
Five Guys: 1955
August 1955. "Tennis in the Hamptons, Long Island's chic play spot." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for Sports ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2023 - 12:48pm -

August 1955. "Tennis in the Hamptons, Long Island's chic play spot." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for Sports Illustrated. View full size. Telltale red dust on the tennies.So the wealthy play on clay. These Kodachromes by Frissell are so rich and saturated, everyone looks tanned and healthy and the world invites us. Color photography just doesn't look like this anymore. Safe for planesCanada Dry's "Hi-Spot" brand (whereas, presumably, "Hi-Jack" brand wouldn't fly). Apparently still around, though I'm not familiar with it. (What?? That's not the first thing you noticed ??) Something tells me it involved a girlHe's holding a page from a message pad, so someone called while he was playing and left a message and/or a callback number. He looks amused and two of the other guys seem to be joking with him about it. Toni Frissell thought it was interesting enough to photograph. Will we ever know how it turned out? Jocks in socks through the yearsTwo of these gentlemen are anticipating, in a do-it-yourself way, the move from crew socks to ankle socks, which accelerated through the 1980s. Next? No-show socks, already here. Yale tennis togsThat fellow would have been a teammate of that season's No. 6 singles player (who would finish the season at No. 2), Dick Raskin of Forest Hills, better known later as Dr. Renée Richards. Kodachrooooome!"It gives you those nice, bright colors; it gives you the greens of summer, makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah!" Thus sayeth Paul Simon. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Sports, Toni Frissell)
Chez Chintz: 1942
... May 12, 1942. "William S. Paley, residence in Manhasset, Long Island, New York. Living room, to large window." Large-format acetate ... this room and the rest of the house is at a blog on Old Long Island . Wow factor for all the wrong reasons Were the terms 'over ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2021 - 6:13pm -

May 12, 1942. "William S. Paley, residence in Manhasset, Long Island, New York. Living room, to large window." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Wartime PsychedelicWow! I all these patterns are something else, throw another pillow on that sofa so no one can sit down. What a difference 75 years makes in interior design trends. The window treatment is something else. Be sure your books are all the same size. This was probably considered the ultimate in interior design at the time. Chintz is no longer chintzy!'Vogue' says that chintz is "back in a big way." I learned 'chintzy' as a derogatory term. It was coined by none other than George Eliot, describing some muslin fabric: "the quality of the spotted one is best, but the effect is chintzy." The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'chintzy' as "suburban, unfashionable, petit-bourgeois, cheap; mean, stingy." None of those synonyms fits this: Sister Parish? At first I thought this might be the work of Sister Parish because I know she was famous for chintz and I know she worked on Paley homes but upon reflection I don't think this is a Parish design. The decoration is a bit sparse by Parish standards; she liked to cultivate what I would call a charming clutter and was unafraid to use more than one pattern. I can't see her matching the curtains to the cushions to the chairs. Also I don't think she started working with the Paleys until William was married to Babe, which was after 1942. AmenitiesBack in 1970 when I went to a lot of bar mitzvahs, a delightful feature of the evening parties was the glasses of cigarettes on each table. They went well with the whiskey sours which the bartender happily doled out to the 13-year-olds. Also, I wonder whether those books on the right are for reading or simply for decoration. The room ruined his eyesight… which may explain some CBS programming decisions. Book StorageThe problem with built-in bookshelves is that you can't pile extra books on top of them and there's no other obvious place. Nice and Clean for NowI bet they were tobacco stained in short order considering how many cigarettes are available for the residents and guests to puff on. Comfortable?Where exactly does one sit on that couch? I count ten pillows and maybe a foot of space between the pillows and the edge of the couch. Plus, that chair on the left has those awful armrests that come up about 3 inches from the level of the seat, meaning you can't really "rest" your "arms" on them. The only thing that looks even remotely comfortable is the wingback chair on the right. At least there are a few ashtrays scattered about so you can have a decent smoke. Why yes, I believe I will have a cigaretteThere's at least one ashtray on each table and I count cigarettes being offered in three different locations. Strange to think it was once a sign of hospitality. This estate was called Kiluna Farm. Designed by Walker & Gillette and built in 1910 for the son of Joseph Pulitzer. It was demolished in 1990 after fire damage by an arsonist. More information and photographs of this room and the rest of the house is at a blog on Old Long Island. Wow factor for all the wrong reasonsWere the terms 'over the top' or 'less is more' known in 1942? The most startling part of this house is that each room tries to outdo the other. More or less"Less is more" wasn't coined by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, but it was one of his mottos - the earliest reference I found was 1947. He probably wasn't thinking of this room, but it was his response to this aesthetic. Here's one of his living rooms: (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
3 Long: 1904
Circa 1904. "Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach, Long Island, N.Y." On July 29, 1907, this "Riviera of the East" burned to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2018 - 12:11pm -

Circa 1904. "Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach, Long Island, N.Y." On July 29, 1907, this "Riviera of the East" burned to the ground after an electrical fire broke out in an upstairs storeroom. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. All that was left standing? That massive chimney, of course. Interesting read on The Long Beach Hotel found here. (The Gallery, DPC)
Century Road Club: 1913
... Run from Columbus Circle in Manhattan to Hicksville, Long Island and back. The race, sponsored by the Century Road Club [bicycle] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:25pm -

May 3, 1913. "Fred J. Scherer and Walter Wiley at the start of New York to San Francisco bicycle race." Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. Fixies?It appears that the bikes they were planning to ride were fixed-gear bikes with no brakes. I shudder to think what these guys went through crossing the Continental Divide. Odometers?There appear to be little Veeder-Root type counters mounted on the front forks of each bicycle. Or is this some other accessory? The amazing thing about this image is.Bicycles haven't changed much in all these years. Those OdometersBetabox, I actually had one of those odometers a couple of bikes ago. There was a little peg that attached to one of the spokes, and it hit a star wheel on the little meter. I still remember the little ping it made every time the peg came around. Worked pretty well, as I recall. Now I use a $5.00 GPS app on my iPhone that gives me a Google map of my route, speed, distance, altitude, pace, and even calories burned, and it keeps track of every ride I took for over a year. Even lets me listen to iTunes music while I ride. Absolutely amazing for $5.00. We've come a long way, baby. But still, that little counter gizmo lasted 100 years, and I'll bet it's still being sold. Now that's pretty cool. Carbide bicycle lanternsThere are a ton of these available at various on-line antique auction sites. The ones shown here resemble the "Old Sol" model by Hawthorne of Bridgeport Connecticut. There are jeweled facets on either side of the lamp that serve as running lights, green on the right and red on the left (with Red Port Wine being the aide-memoire). Century Road Club AssociationI don't know whether these two made it to Frisco, but their organization was founded in 1898 and is still going strong. Wool Was the Old Spandex Bicycle enthusiasts, dressing like dorks for nearly 100 years! Long Ride!I hope you have a photo of them at the finish line! Very bold.Considering that the first cross country automobile trip, and the hardships they endured, took place in 1907 it was still a bold move, even in 1913, to make the attempt on a bicycle. Track BikesIn today's terms these are track bikes: fixed gear: NO freewheeling rear gear/hub assembly. Difficult to ride because the only way you can stop is to pedal slower and slower -- bit tough on the down hills in hilly terrain. Of note: I could find nothing on this "race" via the search engines. Given the nature of the bikes, I doubt they make it very far without major crashes. In memory of carbide lanternsBack in my pre-teen youth in Altoona, Pa., my Dad and I used to go raccoon hunting, which is done at night with dogs (technical term "coon hounds"). For light we used carbide lanterns that were designed to be mounted on coal miners' helmets, and an Internet search yields many sites explaining how they work. Hunting was fun and all that, but carbide offered an extra benefit to anyone wanting to blow a can apart (technical term "teen vandals"). We'd drop a handful of carbide in a can that had a metal lid, such as an empty paint can, punch a hole in the lid, introduce saliva to the carbide (technical term "spitting"), wait for calcium hydroxide gas to build up while covering the hole, then touch a match to the hole and BLAMMO. Coaster brakes?I don't know when the Coaster Brake was invented but I think I see the little brake anchor lever that clamps to the frame on the one bike. It was never much fun as a kid when that lever came loose and you hit the brakes. Not FixiesFrom what I can tell, these are single speed bikes with a coaster brake, not a fixed gear. If you look at the left chainstay, it looks as if there is a coaster brake bracket coming from the rear hub. Also the rear hub looks to be rather large which would indicate it housing all the elements of a cb. I could be wrong, kind of hard to be 100% sure from the photo. Those carbide lampsWhen I was a kid, we had a "carbide cannon" as a toy. It was a poorly cast piece that looked like a WWI cannon. You put carbide in it, and it had a sparker like an old zippo lighter to ignite the gas. It was about a 5 on a 10 point fun-o-meter. Fun for about half an hour. How about those toe clips.If you look closely at the pedals, you will note the toe clips. I did some 100 miles per day bike trips in my salad days and toe clips made it a lot easier by locking your bike shoes to the pedals. It was a relief not to have to concentrate on keeping your shoes centered on the pedals. In addition you could "pull up" on one pedal while "pushing down" on the other. The carbide bike lamp is a Model S Solar manufactured by the Badger Brass Mfg. Co. of Kenosha, WI. It was patented in the US in 1896. My lamp (see pic) is not as shiny. The water tank and filler hole with vent plug is located in the back. The carbide pellets went in the cup on the bottom. The "key" on the side adjusted the water dripping on the carbide. Water plus carbide generates acetylene gas which burns with a hot white flame. The front of the lamp has a glass cover which swings open to light the acetylene. The flat cap on the light is the "smokestack" for the burnt gas to escape. The Eternal BicycleToe clips, coaster brakes, drop handlebars, handlebar wrap, panniers (sort of).... You need to change very few things to arrive at a modern bicycle. "Brought to you by..."... Fisk Tire (if the flag on the boys' bikes was indeed a sponsor). Fisk made bicycle and automobile tires at the time, and their logo was the little yawning boy in pajamas with a bicycle tire slung over his right shoulder. "Trust the Truss"Based on the badge and the frame design of the bicycle on the left, it's an Iver Johnson Truss-bridge bicycle. Yes, this is the same Iver Johnson that made fire arms. They built this style frame from 1900 to 1939. The bicycle on the left does, in fact, have a coaster brake. The coaster brake was invented in the late 1890s and were quite common by 1910. The large chrome ball on the handlebars are bicycle bells. Also note the sprocket driven odometers on the front hubs of both bikes. I have a feeling this event, sponsored by Fisk Tires, was not so much a race as it was a reliability run. What better way to promote your tires. The fact that no information can be found about this event makes me believe it was a failure, and so was not reported. Vanishing PointOn April 27, 1913 Fred J. Scherer, Walter Wiley, George McAdams, and Ernest Higgins were among more than 300 cyclists who took part in the 16th Annual Spring Century Run from Columbus Circle in Manhattan to Hicksville, Long Island and back. The race, sponsored by the Century Road Club [bicycle] Association, was a warm up for the 48-day Transcontinental Handicap Team Race that was started a week later. Scherer and Wiley represented the Caribou Club, while McAdams and Higgins rode for the Century Road Club. Scherer and Wiley received a twenty-four hour head start, leaving from City Hall at Broadway & Murray Street on the 3rd of May 3 at 1:00 p.m. They pedaled up Broadway (mostly) accompanied seventy-five other cyclists and autos stuffed with officials who were shouting last minute details and instructions. The autos dropped out at Yonkers, while the other cyclists kept up the escort as far as Tarrytown. The first night's stop would be in Poughkeepsie, with other overnight stays in Schenectady, Utica, Auburn, Batavia, Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Norwalk, and Toledo, Ohio—where they hoped to arrive on the 13th. The itinerary had them arriving in Chicago on the 16th and Omaha on the 22nd. They figured to arrive at their final destination—San Francisco—on June 20, whereupon they would present a message from Mayor Gaynor of New York to Mayor Rolph of San Francisco. They also carried messages from East Coast bicycle organizations to their West Coast counterparts. They estimated making an average of seventy miles a day and took no money, as "all expenses must be met by the sale of post cards and money actually earned in other ways while enroute." McAdams and Higgins left twenty-four hours later from the same place and followed the same route and timetable, although they bragged that they would overtake Scherer and Wiley in a few days, and reach San Francisco first. There was supposed to be another team from Denver that would be riding a tandem bike, but no one really believed that they would show up. They didn't. A couple of newspapers in Indiana got the news feed wrong, and printed that Scherer and Wiley were riding motorcycles from New York to San Francisco. One newspaper that apparently got it right was the Chicago Daily News, whose photographer took the picture below (Library of Congress collection): It seems that the first pair of cyclists made it to Chicago looking none the worse for wear, but the exact date is unknown at this time. The Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette noted on May 10 that the cyclists were due through that town on May 18 and 19, and the local cyclists were "preparing to give them a rousing reception." I don't know if they ever got their rousing reception—at this point I can't find anything about them past Chicago. I'll keep looking, but if someone has any idea whether or not they made it to San Francisco, please share with the rest of us. Coaster brakes vs. coastingYes, as douglas fir mentioned, the diameter of the rear hub looks quite adequate for containing a coaster brake mechanism. Early fixed gear bikes would have a rear hub with a narrow barrel. But fixed gear bikes were of course the first style of bicycle and during the 1890s they were used for long (even round the world) tours. On leisurely rides and for more gentle descents, early fixed gear bikes were sometimes fitted with foot rests added to the sides of the front fork. This illustration gives a good idea how these front "pegs" were used; of course, you'd better be familiar with the road if allowing yourself a long coast - since you'd eventually need to regain control of the still rapidly rotating pedals, and pedals with toe clips would likely be out of the question. Sturmey Archer 3 speedThe bike on the left has a sturmey archer 3 speed rear hub. (The Gallery, Bicycles, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Ginger Ale Alley: 1906
... to New York, where it ran primarily on the East River and Long Island Sound. It lasted until broken up at State Island in 1935. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/03/2022 - 7:26pm -

Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1906. "River steamers at Crawford Street Bridge." Today's post is brought to you by U.S. Club Ginger Ale, fine product of the Phenix Nerve Beverage Co. of Boston. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Look out!Low bridge ahead! Re: Look Out!I think you meant, "Lola bridgeda - watcha you head!" I believe we see hereon the left the wooden sidewheel steamer What Cheer, built 1867 at Keyport, New Jersey, with the steel Squantum, built 1888 at Newburgh, New York. On the right is the wooden sidewheeler Warwick, built 1873 at Greenport, New York, as the Day Star. The What Cheer had been built as a towboat but converted to a passenger boat in 1869. Sold in 1915 to New York parties it ran between the Battery and New Rochelle, but sank at the New Rochelle dock in fall 1917. Raised and brought to the Hog Island shipyard at Philadelphia, it was abandoned there after brief service as a houseboat. The Squantum also headed to the Big Apple, running between the Battery and the Statue of Liberty until demolished in a storm off Brooklyn on 16 January 1920. The Warwick sank at its dock at Providence four days after the Squantum was lost and thought a total loss. However, it was raised and rebuilt and it, too, went to New York, where it ran primarily on the East River and Long Island Sound. It lasted until broken up at State Island in 1935. I grew up in Providence, but... didn't recognize this scene at all. Only one building survives, I think. Model of the What Cheer(There is also an Iowa town of that name) https://www.lofty.com/products/s-s-what-cheer-scratch-built-steamer-ship... Widest No More A decidedly different look on this brisk fourth day of 2022 here in The Prov'. Rhode Islanders of my age have long endured a (good natured) inferiority complex in regard to our diminutive size. That being said, we took pride in knowing that the widest bridge in the world could be found in our state, the aforementioned Crawford Street Bridge. Alas, the redevelopment of the Downtown area during the "Providence Renaissance" of the early '80s carved it up into many smaller spans, and our glory was no more! Also of note, a scant couple of hundred yards to the right of this photo sits atop College Hill two of the more esteemed institutions of higher learning in the area, Brown University and The Rhode Island School of Design (R.I.S.D.). The story behind "What Cheer"In the 1970s, I had stopped to ask a Providence police officer for directions to some location in the neighborhood, and my eyes were drawn to his police badge, which bore the words "What Cheer". When I got back to my car, I asked my wife, who was from just across the border in Mass., if she knew the significance of those words. No idea. Years later, researching the subject, I came across this, from the following website: https://www.nps.gov/rowi/learn/historyculture/foundingprovidence.htm In a canoe with several others, Roger [Williams] scouted the area across the Seekonk River. They spotted a group of Narragansett on a large rock, known afterwards as Slate Rock, along the western shore of the Seekonk River. As they approached the Narragansett greeted them by calling out: “What Cheer Netop!” This greeting is a combination of English and Narragansett languages. ‘What cheer’ was an informal common English greeting of the day, short for ‘what cheery news do you bring’ and today’s equivalent of “what’s up?’’ “Netop” is the Narragansett word for friend. WhatChout aheadThe WhatCheer's operation in Rhode Island waters included an early unfortunate episode, in which it plowed over a sailboat in Narragansett Bay, instantly killing a sailor named George Cook. After that 1869 collision, the representative of Cook's widow and children (Chase) sued the American Steamboat Company under Rhode Island's wrongful death act for the negligence of its agent on a "highway," and recovered $12,000 from the jury (equal to over $250,000 in 2022 dollars). On appeal to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the company complained that the Bay was not a "highway" within the Act's meaning, and in any event the company should not be liable for its employee's negligence. In a 1871 ruling (Chase v. American Steamboat Co., 10 R.I. 79 (R.I. 1871)), that court upheld the judgment. The company then complained to the U.S. Supreme Court that a state should have no authority to impose liability in such situations, because the Judiciary Act gave admiralty jurisdiction to federal courts. The company fared no better. In Steamboat Company v. Chase, 83 U.S. 522 (1872), the U.S. Supreme Court found, in essence, that because the representative sued the wrongdoers and not the ship itself, he could do so in state court under that state's statute, and affirmed the judgment. New perspective The back end of the Amica Building is what faces the water. The front entrance is 10 Weybosset Street. There seems to be a lot less activity, but business and trade are now done indoors. Still a great spot to be for a WaterFire ... gotta find me a Del's. Undercover RiverWhen I was at Rhode Island School of Design in the 70's the river was just becoming visible again after years and years of being almost completely covered over in the name of modernization. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Providence)
Candlelight Inn: 1951
... "Patricia Murphy's Candlelight Inn restaurant. Manhasset, Long Island, New York. Garden Room." This was one of several Candlelight Inns ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2023 - 12:14pm -

January 18, 1951. "Patricia Murphy's Candlelight Inn restaurant. Manhasset, Long Island, New York. Garden Room." This was one of several Candlelight Inns operated by New York restaurateur Patricia Murphy (1905-1979), whose culinary trademark was the freshly baked popover. 4x5 inch acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. WickedI wonder how the heck the waitpeople managed to maneuver in between these ridiculously close tables. I wonder why the Candlelight restaurant doesn't have candles on each table. Keeping UpIf you attend a Candlelight Supper, you may later be invited for Riparian Entertainments. Candlelight Inn SupperOooh a candlelight supper. Will there be riparian entertainments as well? [Riparian? - Dave] Maybe you have to ask for oneIn response to Patterdale, I notice, looking down the room, the tables are staggered. You could back your chair out without hitting a chair behind you. This would also give waitstaff enough room to maneuver, although they'd have to zigzag. I like the light fixtures and think fans in the dormer windows is a smart idea. It's interesting that, with all the tables so uniform, the candlesticks were not. Maybe there was a shortage and you had to ask for a lit candle. In 50 years, there'd be a candle on every table ... battery powered. Crease & DesistI don't think Hyacinth would approve of the fold on those napkins. My favorite Hyacinth line"Am I serious? I would not be speaking to you on a Slimline phone and surrounded by some very expensive wallpaper if I weren't serious." Riparian EntertainmentsWere not enjoyed here; it was my family's go-to on Sundays after Mass. Great food & service -- no river, though. Standard FareThe menu of the Westchester restaurant, about eight years later. Service charge of 75 cents for children not having regular meal. Apparently popovers were more popular than I had imaginedPopovers and Candlelight: Patricia Murphy and the Rise and Fall of a Restaurant Empire (Excelsior Editions) Paperback – November 1, 2018 by Marcia Biederman (Author) Space RestrictedThis restaurant needs either fewer tables or more floor space. It would feel very claustrophobic being crammed in like that, not to mention as Patterdale points out, it would be a waiter's nightmare navigating that maze of tables and chairs. On the plus side, excellent architecture and fittings. And those prices; always wonder how businesses made money on those tiny prices. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Gottscho-Schleisner)
First Across: 1919
... flying boat, designed by Glenn Curtiss, at Rockaway Beach, Long Island, New York. The NC-4 was the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2019 - 2:19pm -

        100 years ago saw the first trans-Atlantic flight, and it wasn’t Lindbergh’s. A giant Navy seaplane flew from Queens to the Azores in 1919, eight years before the Spirit of St. Louis. It took three weeks. It wasn’t nonstop. — N.Y. Times May 1919. "The NC-4 Curtiss flying boat, designed by Glenn Curtiss, at Rockaway Beach, Long Island, New York. The NC-4 was the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean as part of the U.S. Navy transatlantic flight attempt." 5x7 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size. Three weeksNo wonder it took so long. No Propellers! Flying BoatTechnically, the NC-4 was a flying boat, not a seaplane. Seaplanes were aircraft that could take to the water by having floats fitted in place of wheeled undercarriages. Seaplanes for a reasonAll early transport planes were seaplanes. The reason is that there were few reliable methods of overland navigation, no airstrips suitable for landing a plane, and no accommodation for either passengers or aircraft inland. Seaports and coastal routes were long established. These big Navy seaplanes with "Putty" Read & five-man crew did what they could to go from Rockaway Beach - Chatham - Trepassey - Azores - Portugal - France - England. Much of it in bad weather in exposed cockpits. Pilot was first U.S. Coast Guard airmanHe had quite the vision to understand the future of flight in its infancy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Fowler_Stone ReliabilityLindbergh chose single engine because he couldn't make it with a failed engine on a multiengined plane anyway. It would just double his chances of not making it to have two engines. A seaplane isn't out of luck with a failed engine over water. NC-4 Today in PensacolaToday's Pensacola New Journal has this article on the NC-4, which is now housed in the Naval Aviation Museum at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Aviation mythsThe vast majority of flying boats (let alone seaplanes) were not designed and built to take down on the open sea. And the vast majority couldn't, accordingly, in anything of a sea swell. The boat part was not risk mitigation, it was the design solution to account for lack of land based infrastructure. As well as saving the weight of a landing gear of limited utility. Plus, Goodyear et al were not quite up yet to making tires that could take the loads associated with (for its time) large aircraft landing gear. After all, we are talking 1919 here. The time when automobiles frequently had two or even more spares, and a full repair kit, and actually needed and used them. The Spirit of St. Louis used one engine beacause one engine was (barely) enough to get it to Paris. After all, Lindbergh was on a budget. And then as now the engines are easily the most expensive part of an aircraft. And the Wright J-5C Whirlwind was arguably among the most efficient and reliable engines of its time in the first place. Hull by HerreshoffThe NC-4 hull was built by the celebrated Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. in Bristol, Rhode Island. There is (or was when I last visited) a superb model of the flying boat in the Herreshoff Museum. UnremarkableAs any school child outside the US knows, British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. They flew a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. Centennial celebrations are being held in Ireland next month. There is only ever one first. In this case, crossing the Atlantic by island hopping on a relaxed schedule is not that remarkable. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_flight_of_Alcock_and_Brown [Newfoundland (an island!) to Ireland (an island!) is only slightly more impressive than Greenland to Iceland. - Dave] (The Gallery, Aviation, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Mass Transit: 1910
... breezy. Then and Now The tracks are gone and the Long Island RR Building in the back was transformed into a mall. The small ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2020 - 1:25pm -

        A better-quality version of an image first posted here in 2008. Brooklyn, N.Y., circa 1910. "Atlantic Avenue subway entrance." Plus an elevated railway and streetcar tracks. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Rock and FultonLooks like the poster for the Brighton Beach Music Hall (which later became a Yiddish theater) is advertising William Rock and Maude Fulton. They were apparently heading the bill written about here in the Aug. 7, 1910, New York Times. Still StandingThe subway entrance in the foreground is still there. The elevated and the railroad terminal building are not. The Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street subway station is home to (If I remember correctly) nine subway lines. The LIRR still has its terminus at Flatbush Avenue. Because of the great mass transit, this is the site where the NJ Nets are building their new arena. The surface traffic is horrendous now. That's why the neighborhood is pretty much against building the arena. BreezyI would think that those open-sided cars get a little breezy. Then and NowThe tracks are gone and the Long Island RR Building in the back was transformed into a mall. The small building on the Island that says "Atlantic Avenue" is still there. My son lives around the corner. I'll take a picture and post it for everyone to see. Love the open-sided subway cars!Can we assume these cars ran aboveground at all times? You couldn't go underground in these cars. Or you could.....but you'd need hosing down at the end of the ride. NYC TransitI used to ride these cars as a kid. The transportation system in NYC was so far superior before 1940, at a nickel a pop for over 40 years, that people today cannot even imagine how easily, safely, and pleasantly it was back then. To El and BackJune 1, 1940, was when the City of New York took over the trolleys, elevated railways and subways of the BMT and began the abandonments. The Fifth Avenue El, the Fulton Street El, Fulton Street trolleys, Gates Avenue trolleys and Putnam Halsey cars ran their last on May 30. Both Els were torn down the summer of 1941. Atlantic AvenueThe subway entrance is still there, but it's no longer in use as such. The MTA renovated it when it expanded and refurbished the Atlantic Avenue subway station, but because the entrance is on a traffic island in the middle of a very busy intersection, you can no longer use it to enter the station. Instead, it now serves as a skylight for the underground station. There's a spot in the station where you can stand about 20 or 30 feet underneath the old station house, look up, and see it directly above you, hollowed out and streaming light into the station. If I still lived in Brooklyn, I'd get a photo. You can see it here, photographed from Flatbush Avenue: View Larger Map The mall that 9:26 AT refers to you would be behind you in this shot. I tried to get a Google Map image from the vantage point of the 1910 photo, but a large truck was between the Google Map camera and the old station entrance. I believe the 1910 image was photographed from roughly where the PC Richard currently stands. There's a much better view of the current state of the old entrance here, in a photo from April of this year: http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?82823 You can also see it, boarded over and in disrepair, in this 1997 photo: http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?426 Finally, the New York Times has a good article from 2003 about the renovation of the Atlantic Avenue station, including a couple of paragraphs about the old station house. I used the station daily during the renovation, and the work they did was remarkable. Ashcan schoolThe Ashcan school of artists was known for painting New York street scenes similar to this. John Sloan's famous and, in this writer's opinion, beautiful painting, Six O'Clock, Winter, painted in 1912, may have been painted at this station or a similar one in the city. Open platform El carsAfter the Malbone Street wreck in 1918, wooden cars were banned from the subways. Open-platform wooden cars continued to be used on the Els in Brooklyn until 1958, when the last of the "BU" El cars ran on Myrtle Avenue. The IRT ran wood open platform El cars in Manhattan and the Bronx until the early 1950s. In 1938 the "Q" class El cars had steel ends added to enclose the open platforms of 1903 wood El cars; they were used on the Flushing line for the 1939 World's Fair. After that the "Q" cars ran on the Third Avenue El in Manhattan and the Bronx before finishing out their days on Myrtle Avenue in 1969. Open platform El cars were typical of rapid transit from the 1870s through the mid teens. They were labor intensive, with a conductor needed between every two cars. A nicer timeI live not far from here, and this photo is so much nicer than what it is today -- a mall with trash and insane traffic. Makes me wish I was there back in 1910. Polka dots and moonbeamsI'd love to make the acquaintance of the lovely lady in polka dots. And, check out the lady's amazing hat! Fashion ForwardThe lovely lady in the polka dot dress must just have gotten back from Paris, as she is wearing the latest Paul Poiret inspired hobble skirt/pagoda tunic, with a Japanese- bridal style hat. All of the other ladies in the photo, with full flared skirts, blousson bodices, and huge, but very lightweight picture hats will be following her style by next Spring, at the latest. Famous time travelers caught on glass Now it can be told: many celebrities were also, in fact, secret travelers through time. Although I am not at liberty to disclose their methods, I am permitted to point out a few well known faces. On the far left, we see W.C. Fields, wearing false whiskers, attempting to look casual. Moving right, we see a stylish Brian Donlevy striking a pose as he boldly looks directly at the camera. Just behind the policeman on the right is a young Gary Cooper, who is not quite as tall as he would be later in life. The young lady in the au courant outfit is lovely Laura La Plante. And now we come to the true master of time travel, Charles Durning, who is both the policeman on the right *and* the man in the white hat, on the other side of the pole, with his back to his policeman self. Take the "A" train.Unlike the other els mentioned, the Fulton Street el (in the picture) had been replaced by a subway before being torn down. Through service to Manhattan at last. Yes, the "A" train. "Circa 1910" indeedThere's no "circa" about it given that the "3 Eagles" newsstand is displaying the Aug 6, 1910, issues of The Saturday Evening Post . My old stomping groundsBefore my transfer to Garden City. View of the same location October 2018. By the way the Brooklyn Daily Eagle is archived for free online access: https://bklyn.newspapers.com/ About the policemen's hatsAccording to the Internet (so it must be true), the New York City police wore "custodian helmets," grey for summer and blue for winter, from 1880 to 1912. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
D-Day: New York
... sold exclusively through James Waters Chrysler Agency in Long Island City, Queens. The price for a new one was about $1100. I once ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2013 - 10:25am -

New York, June 6, 1944. ALLIED ARMIES LAND ON COAST OF FRANCE. GREAT INVASION OF CONTINENT BEGINS. "D-Day. Crowd watching the news line on the New York Times building at Times Square." Photo by Howard Hollem or Edward Meyer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Unidentified ObjectDoes anyone know what the curved metal object with letters on it is? It appears to be on top of a car on the right. [DeSoto "Sky View" taxicab sign. - Dave] Internet, 1944is what this could have been titled. The scrolling electric sign was as good as it got then, and I am sure those folks were fairly amazed to see it. I wonder what it took to program it? My great-uncle went in at D Day +60 (August 7) as a replacement in the 2nd Infantry Division (L Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment); he was seriously wounded at Brest, France, a month later, died in 1956...and I was named for him. That was never far from my mind when I served in Iraq in 2004 at the same age he was when he earned his Purple Heart and (I believe) a Bronze Star. To all those who went in on D-Day...and throughout WWII, I stand and salute. So what about that moving sign?According to various sources the NY Times installed the first moving "news ticker" in 1928, using 14,800 electric bulbs. Given the technology of the day, I can only guess that each bulb required a relay, which would have to click on and off almost instantly to momentarily light its bulb, as the text scrolls along. This must have been a maintenance challenge (there seems to be a few extra bulbs lit, and some brighter ones that may just have been replaced). They may have used or even invented the "matrix" technique still used today for LCD displays, which uses "crosspoint" wiring to greatly reduce the number of lines going from the elements to the control system, but my mind still boggles at the number of wires remaining, and what kind of electro-mechanical system translated "operator input" to the streaming text. If only Shorpy's world-wide readership included a retired electro-mechanical sign technician! Just the technology of the news line was something...Before zooming in to see the image full size, on first glance the guy on the left and the guy 2nd from the right were in a posture not to different than someone holding a cellphone to the ear. Of course it's clear they were dragging on fags, sucking on coffin nails, drawing down on Pall Malls while taking in the portentous news. As someone not born until 12 years after the war was over - I am fascinated by what day to day life in the US was like, mobilized for war. Of course I grew up knowing it was a success, but at that very moment, who knew how this was going to work out - the intensity of the moment, even for folks in the street in Times Square, must have been incredible. Pausing to rememberMy brother landed D-Day plus 12 and my uncle D-Day plus 20. They were lucky, I guess, and returned to us to live out long lives. Great photo. Really profound. 6-6-44Yet to be born, a twinkle in my father's eye as he dropped from the sky into Caen with the Canadians early that morning. RIP Dad. 23,740 days later Kind of Gladwe can't see many faces in the crowd. We'd have to start wondering what they were thinking -- Is my son there? My dad? My husband? My brother? Funny but I cannot summon up any memory of D-Day. VE and VJ Days, and the dropping of the two A-bombs are sharp and clear, but not D-Day. I think perhaps that it might relate to what happened in early May. I was out riding my trike when a Western Union messenger rode up on his bike and went into the three-family apartment in which I lived. I heard a terrible scream through the open windows of the first-floor unit. All the neighbors (women since the men were in the military or working) flocked to the apartment with screams continuing for some time. I learned that the woman's son had been killed in action. I did not totally understand the horror, but I was sad because the young man had been very nice to the punk kid airplane nut from the third floor, even letting me hold his model planes. The first-floor family were an elderly couple, with the one child, who had become a fighter pilot in the Pacific. The husband walked with heavy braces and crutches, and, as I later learned, they just quit and gave up life. They moved within days and we never heard from them again. I think that I was in a bit of a void for a while. Walking to churchOn January 6, 1944, I was 6 years old in Fort Smith, Arkansas, part of a young generation which at the time had no knowledge of a condition known as peace. On that day, my mother received a phone call from a fellow church member who was calling everyone in the congregation to say that the invasion was under way. This was the signal to come to the church to pray. Our family; mother, father and two boys walked to the church to pray for the safety and success of our "American Boys" on that day. DeSoto Sky ViewThose great old DeSoto cabs had a sliding roof panel to let passengers see the views above them while being carried through the Manhattan canyons. The skyscraper with the clock housed the Paramount Theatre, a wonderful place to visit for a movie and a live stage show. I saw Phil Spitalny and his "All-Girl Orchestra featuring Evelyn and her Magic Violin" there with my family. The movie was "Miss Susie Slagle's," starring Veronica Lake and Sonny Tufts. Bright Lights, Big SignRadio CoverageThe National Archives in College Park, Maryland has recordings of the entire NBC and CBS broadcast day from D-Day and anyone can go in and listen to them. It's a very good way to get a sense of what the day was like for people at home listening on the radio as events unfolded. News ZipperFrom a 2005 NYT article on the Zipper: The Motograph News Bulletin, to use its original formal name, began operation on Nov. 6, 1928, election night, as a band of 14,800 light bulbs that extended 380 feet long and 5 feet high around the fourth floor of what was then the Times Tower. It was installed for The New York Times by Frank C. Reilly, according to an article in The Times, which identified Mr. Reilly as the inventor of electric signs with moving letters. Inside the control room, three cables poured energy into transformers. The hookup to all the bulbs totaled 88,000 soldered connections. Messages from a ticker came to a desk beside a cabinet like the case that contained type used by old-time compositors. The cabinet contained thin slabs called letter elements. An operator composed the message, letter by letter, in a frame. The frame, when filled with the letters and spaces that spelled out a news item, was inserted in a magazine at one end of a track. A chain conveyor moved the track, and each letter in the frame brushed a number of electrical contacts. Each contact set a light flashing on Broadway. There were more than 39,000 brushes, which had to undergo maintenance each month. The frame with the letter elements passed up and overhead, forming an endless circuit. Mr. Reilly calculated that there were 261,925,664 flashes an hour. D-DayJune 6, 1944, I was 16 years old and in Basic Training with the the US Maritime Service at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Many of us teenagers had close relatives in the military and wished we were there with them to fight the Axis. A month later, I was in a North Atlantic convoy assigned to a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun hoping that a Nazi plane would dare to fly over. "I'd show 'em." Of course I didn't tell this to my shipmates. skyview cabI believe this is the light-up sign on top of the Sky-View Cab Company. It looks like neon. I was watching an old movie from the forties (?) on TCM and I noticed these cabs. They had a sunroof cut into the roof of the cab so the passengers in the back seat could look up and see the buildings. I can't remember the movie, but the plot involved the passenger looking up and seeing something relevant to the story line. It must have been a gimmick for the cab company. It also must have been one of the early sunroofs in a car! More SkyviewThe Skyview NYC Taxicab that the tipster may have seen on TCM was in the musical "Anchors Aweigh". The scene where Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly are Standing up and looking out at the city in Betty Garrett's Skyview cab. Those DeSoto Skyview Cabs were sold exclusively through James Waters Chrysler Agency in Long Island City, Queens. The price for a new one was about $1100. I once heard a story that he was Walter Chrysler's Son-in-Law but I can't confirm it. The Skyview cabs were all over the placewhen I lived in NYC from 1941 - 44. They were stretched DeSotos with a couple of fold-up seats and the roof had glass so that one could see the tall buildings. There was also a radio built into the armrest on the right. The driver turned it on and the passenger controlled the rest. I had many rides in those cabs. Hovercraft at D-Day@sjack: I don't mean to rain on your parade, and I certainly don't wish to denigrate the memory of your father and his courageous service to our nation in World War II, but I'm quite sure he didn't lower tanks onto hovercraft for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The US Army did not make use of hovercraft until Viet Nam, and then it was only on an experimental basis. As your comment is titled, memories are funny sometimes. Perhaps your dad talked about loading tanks onto landing craft, not hovercraft, like the LST (landing ship tank) or smaller versions like the LCU (landing craft utility), which were flat-hulled vessels that could approach fairly close to the beach and lower a ramp on the bow, allowing troops and vehicles to exit. The Bronx is up but the Battery's down"New York, New York, A Helluva Town" was sung in the Broadway "On the Town" but for the film changed to "New York, New York, A Wonderful Town" because of those archaic Hollywood codes at that time. Los Angeles may have our Dodgers but they don't have our songs or our Skyview Cabs. RememberingDuring my early teen's in the 1950's I was invited along on several fishing trips with 3 WWII veterans. One had been an Army Ranger, one a sailor who had been on the Murmansk Run, and the third a paratrooper. You can imagine the banter among those guys. The Ranger was in the D-Day invasion and had been wounded in the buttocks. The Navy vet always asked him how he could have sustained that injury advancing from the beach. Curiously, the paratrooper never spoke any particulars of his service. They're gone now, but I remember them being nice to this kid. Thanks guys. UnawareJune 6, 1944 - I was happily gestating in my mother's womb and would be born during the Battle of the Bulge (no relation to mom's condition). My dad, drafted in 1940 into the 7th Cavalry (yes, Custer's old outfit) had been converted into armor and was preparing to sail overseas to a place called Leyte Gulf in the Philippines where he would be wounded and spend the rest of the war, plus another year, in Letterman Hospital in S.F. Until his death in 1996 he could remember most of his company's buddies names and the names of their horses. More on radio coverageThe NBC and CBS D-Day broadcasts are available at the Internet Archive. NBC: http://archive.org/details/NBCCompleteBroadcastDDay CBS: http://archive.org/details/Complete_Broadcast_Day_D-Day That woundHow your Ranger probably caught that one: We were taught in training that buttocks wounds were very common; moving forward under fire without decent cover, one crawls. It is most difficult to accomplish this without making your buttocks the highest point of your body! Let us never forget the men of D-Day.An awful lot of them gave up their tomorrows so we could enjoy our todays. 'On The Town'Is the movie 'Mr. Mel' is thinking of; 'Anchors Aweigh' is set in Hollywood. Right Stars, wrong movie. 'Lest We Forget'A line from Ford's 'She wore a Yellow Ribbon' that fits this day so well. Odd TriviaThere are a couple of boats trading on the Great Lakes today that were at the Normandy invasion. One still carries the battle ribbons with stars on her bridge wings. One other point is that the Times building was of very attractive design before it was covered up with billboards. Communiqué No. 1I followed the NBC link provided by hlupak604 and listened to some of the radio coverage and heard, more than once, the short text of Communiqué No. 1 from Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, which appears to form the basis for the scrolling text on the news zipper. It runs as follows: "Under the command of General Eisenhower, allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France." Thanks! Uncle SamMy uncle Sam (no pun intended) landed at Omaha Beach, and immediately sustained an injury to his head. He was fitted with a metal plate to replace the part of his skull that he lost. Needless to say, his fighting days were over. However, he went on to be become an accomplished auto mechanic. Family, friends, and neighbors all asked him for automotive advice. He passed away last year at the age of 90. Thanks, Uncle Sam! - because of your sacrifices, I am free today to write this. Yeah, I remember.Although we didn't know it at the time, my brother was in the sand of Utah Beach just then. He survived the war. I remember vividly the headlines in The Detroit Times that afternoon, "WE WIN BEACHES". Due to the time difference, of course, there was plenty of fresh news of the invasion in the afternoon paper. I've been a news junkie since. May we never forgethow brave these men were. My uncle fought in Okinawa in 1945, unfortunately he never made it out alive. I still have the last letter he wrote to his "beloved mama", what a sweet soul he was. Bless them one and all. Memories are funny sometimesMy father was on a supply ship in the English Channel on D Day, lowering tanks into hovercraft that were being sent to French beach heads. Many, many, times I tried to discuss his experiences that day but he never really had much to say. He said that on D Day he was "on the water" (in the Channel) and they were pretty much working constantly getting the tanks loaded and shipped. They slept whenever they could he said. He landed at Utah beach (but didn't say when) and moved up the coast doing whatever was asked (he was in a supply unit) until he got to Belgium. And that was pretty much all I got out of him. His shared memories of the battle of the Bulge were even more meager ("it was very cold"). I'm jealous of people whose fathers discussed their war experiences; mine just didn't seem to want to share. Cold for JuneI realize most people dressed up in public back then, but most of the women in the photo are wearing overcoats. It must have been cold in New York that June day in 1944. Hovercraft tanks, sort ofOne of many unique innovations for the D Day invasion was the "Duplex Drive" tank, essentially a standard Sherman tank which was fitted with an inflatable, collapsible canvas screen and twin screw props which would enable the tank to float like a boat and wade ashore. Unfortunately, the contraption worked best in calm water, something that was in short supply off the Normandy coast that day. I remember a buddy of mine whose dad had served with the US Navy at the invasion re-telling his dad's stories of the DD tanks being dropped off in deeper, rough water due to enemy fire and sinking like rocks. Fortunately enough of the tanks were able to make it on shore to provide badly needed armor support for the ground troops, and the tanks were deemed successful enough to serve in the invasion of Southern France two months later, as well as during numerous river crossing operations during the remainder of 1944 and 1945. Good article with photos of the tanks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_tank Full messageI believe the full message read: "ALLIES LAND ON NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE UNDER STRONG AIR COVER" (The Gallery, Howard Hollem, NYC, WW2)
Schwinners: 1970
... did not use front plates. Given the view, we can rule out Long Island, but this scene would fit almost anywhere else in the state. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 4:27pm -

From around 1970, somewhere in Suburbia, comes this Kodachrome of two lovely lasses attired in Easter egg pastels, and a tricycle not long for this world. View full size. Pretty in Pink, Striking in YellowAnd Fast on Old Blue ... nice shiny chrome fenders. Winnie Cooper'slil' sis? There's more than a little resemblance. But ultimately of more importance: in the distance not one but two VW's ; Detroit's - and by implication America's - decline from industrial supremacy to (simply) "leadership" is well underway Missing WheelThe tricycle may get hit by the car in the driveway, but the dented car on the left won't be backing into it. A rear wheel seems to be missing. [Not to worry. It's there. - Dave] Look before backing!Maybe that was a new bicycle - but hope they aren't cycling in those clothes and shoes! Sad thing, but I'm reminded of the time my aunt Shirley backed up without looking and killed Grandma's dog Trixie. I was about 10, and it was a sad day ... though I didn't witness it, I heard her last yelp from across the field. Still want to cry, and always look before backing up! Trike, Trixie, backing up -- They are lovely lassesVery likely best friends. No way to tell if this friendship lasted years or somewhere along the way they lost touch. Most of us have experienced both. The two license plates I can see are dark blue with yellow letters/numbers. That makes one possible state Pennsylvania, which I'm going to run with based on the neighborhood, distant terrain, and everything else. I can't read that street sign. Dave, can you? [The street name is four letters; the second letter looks like an i. Something like BIRD, RICE, BIBB, along with CR or CT. I also note a preponderance of evergreens. - Dave] The CarsOn the left, a dented 1960 Ford Fairlane; on the right, a (now mid-size) 1968 Fairlane 500 with the side marker light that became mandatory that year. In the driveway behind it, a Chevy Corvair convertible with the top up. Blue sedan on the left is a 1964 Chevrolet. There was a classmatein my junior college days who drove a brand new, black 1960 Ford convertible with black and white interior. We had first period class together so I would most often see him in the parking lot when he drove in with the top down. I lusted after that car but couldn't afford anything even close to his ride. Man that was beautiful vehicle and I would still like to own one but they are very hard to find. It's odd that 1950's Chevys are plentiful but Fords not so much. Sympathy for the PedalAll the Schwinners are Saints. Upstate NYThe license plates are New York, 1966 to 1973 series. Pennsylvania was a good guess, but they did not use front plates. Given the view, we can rule out Long Island, but this scene would fit almost anywhere else in the state. Those smiles thoughThat's just about the cutest thing I've seen all day. The sweet girl on the right is almost certainly my age. I had a dress very like hers except mine had sleeves and it was made of ice blue dotted swiss. My sister's outfit had a few style differences from mine, and was green. Our mother sewed the frocks for us to wear on Easter in 1970 and we broke the mold by going to church that year. Oh those lovely stockings!I remember how sophisticated we felt in those textured stockings. And believe me, those weren't no pantyhose, no sirree. Those were two individual stockings held up by awful, uncomfortable garter belts that would unsnap and let you down from time to time. But paired with these simple, A-line shift dresses, those stockings made us feel like we just stepped off the page of a fashion magazine. No curbs, sidewalks or even drainage?I drive through neighborhoods delivering packages, and this time of year is especially dangerous as the large ditches in neighborhoods like these are often filled with recently fallen leaves. I see no sign of drainage measures taken in this shot, am I missing something? [There's a big drain next to the street sign. - Dave] HURD CTI believe this photo was taken looking east from the corner of Hurd Court and Bontecou Road in the Town of Stony Point, New York. I base this in on the following: The houses match what is shown on google street view, but the perspective is so different it's difficult to tell. The utility tower in the distance is still there but you have to move up quite a long way to see on street view. The contour of the mountains match what you would see if you had a clear view today, they are on the opposite side of the Hudson River from Stony Point. The biggest hint was that YEARS ago a photo identified as being in this neighborhood was posted on Shorpy, possibly even the same street, but facing west as I remember. [That's it! Even the storm drain is still there. - Dave] (Bicycles, Easter, Found Photos, Kids, Stephen Kodachromes)
Ledkote: 1956
... 1956. "Ledkote Products Co., Vernon Boulevard, Astoria, Long Island. Office accounting department. Corydon M. Johnson Co., client." ... to Port Jefferson Station, about 50 miles to the east on Long Island. In 1959 the company changed its name to Lawrence Aviation ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2014 - 2:34pm -

June 26, 1956. "Ledkote Products Co., Vernon Boulevard, Astoria, Long Island. Office accounting department. Corydon M. Johnson Co., client." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Disembodied Phone DialWhat you see is the dial of a "Spacesaver" telephone, peeking out of of the top of the desk. There is a box with a hookswitch and handset below the level of the desk. The phone also needs a box with a network and ringer. My uncle had one of these, carrying the number BOulevard 8-1888. A photo is attached (Not my uncle's but another one.) Nice bowtie.The lad in the back must have just been sent over from Central Casting. The lamp over his desk caught my eye, I inherited an identical one from my dad. Finally, what are the disembodied phone dials on the edge of the desks? I don't see any handsets to go with 'em. Ledkote must have supplied a product for the military by the models on the desks, a Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, a Vought F7U Cutlass, and a Convair 240 or 300 or 340 or 440 or 580 or 640F, I can't tell. Shades of my lost youthThat looks like an R. C. Allen Model 35 calculator, front and center ... and the bottle of Sheaffer's Skrip ink is the dead spit of the one my grandmother always kept on her desk at the office. Bet it goes with the Sheaffer desk pen in the bookkeeper's hand. I can barely make out what that memo says"Clean your desks. Photographer visiting today." AircraftLooks like a Convair 220 passenger airliner on the front desk and a Navy H-34 helicopter on the back desk. Spacemaker PhoneThe phone could have been the American Electric AE 183 Spacemaker Phone or a similar phone from another manufacturer of that time period. Space Saver TelephoneThe disembodied telephone dials are attached to a body with a handset that was on the front (or side) of a small box below the dial. These were typically wall-mounted but could be clamped onto something like an office desk. This photo shows the Western Electric model 211, and you can read more about it here. Floating phone dialsWestern Electric made a telephone they called the Space Saver. The two partially visible in this photo appear to be that model. Space Saver PhonesThe "disembodied phone dials" are the tops of space-saver type phones. These were once fairly common in engineering offices, and like this picture, in accounting offices, as they didn't take up any valuable desktop space. So what's wrong with this picture?No desktop computers, no voice mail, no email, rotary dials, Skrip ink for the fountain pens. Probably three guys do 1 job each instead of 1 guy doing 3 jobs. Comptometers and adding machines Likely in at 9:00 AM and out by 5:00 PM on the dot....oh take me back!! Superfund folliesA few years before this picture was taken, Ledkote moved its production facilities to Port Jefferson Station, about 50 miles to the east on Long Island. In 1959 the company changed its name to Lawrence Aviation Industries and remained in business until the 1980's. Unfortunately, its site was left with severe environmental contamination, and is still undergoing cleanup under the federal Superfund program. Ledkote also had a production facility in suburban Boston. The facility is still in operation, known as Bay State Galvanizing, though from the information available online it's not possible to tell whether there's continuity of ownership from the Ledkote days. The office shown here was at 35-10 Vernon Boulevard, just north of the Roosevelt Island bridge. I don't know when it closed, though a reasonable guess would be at the time of the name change in 1959. The building no longer exists, with an electrical switching station now occupying its site. SpreadsheetsThat ledger must be holding the original versions of spreadsheets. EXCEL Version 0.25.478.251beta SkripThe ink bottle is what we all had in our grade school desks. The ballpoint didnt' take over until high school, and even then they were marginal. Papermate didn't figure out how to get the click mechanism to reliably stay extended for many years. Everybody had a collection of dead papermate pens. Aeroplane identificationCan anyone identify the aircraft at the opposite side of the desk where the helicopter sits? H-19 ChickasawIt's the Army's H-19, the predecessor to the H-34, but in Sikorsky numerology-speak, the S-55. The little detailsI noted that Script ink bottle on the desk in an instant. When I attended Catholic grade school in the latter half of the 1950's fountain pens were the rule and "no ball point pens" was the eleventh commandment. The good nuns started us off in 4th grade with the Sheaffer Cartridge Pen set which included the pen and five plastic ink cartridges which cost a dollar. You inserted the sealed cartridge into the body of the pen and then screwed in the writing end which had a barb which punctured the cartridge. They worked pretty good until you started refilling the cartridge by putting it into the ink bottle and squeezing the cartridge to suck up about a half a cartridge of ink. Tissue paper was stuffed behind the cartridge to force it against the barbed end. In 5th grade my parents bought me an Esterbrook fountain pen for the princely sum of $5.00. It reduced the permanent ink stains on my writing hand considerably. That Script bottle had a small "cup" molded into the inside of the bottle at the top. You would tilt the bottle to fill the cup(with the cap on tight) and then fill your pen from the cup. It prevented you from dunking the pen too deep into the bottle. If you made writing mistake you had four choices for correction. You could use an ink eraser. You had to wait for the ink to dry and then carefully erase to avoid rubbing a hole in the paper. There was also a liquid eraser which was nothing more than diluted bleach and a more costly "whiteout". With these liquid cures you had to wait for the cure to try or face a mess of the ink running if applied too early. The fourth correction was a rewrite. Now we have laptops with spell and grammar check and the emailing of assignments to the teacher. I certainly paid my dues with the tedium of pen and ink writing and later using manual typewriters. Ledkote productsWhat they made -- beautiful stuff. The Ledkote LegacyA former Ledkote site is apparently now a Superfund Site. From the Suffolk County Planning Commission in January, 2013: "The predecessor tenant of the property was Ledkote Products Company which manufactured various lead products including lead downspouts, for eight years in the 1950s. Before Ledkote, the site hosted a free-range turkey farm. The turkey farm, Ledkote Products and Lawrence Aviation Industries shared the same ownership, according to the Town of Brookhaven. "The Town has indicated that EPA soil testing has revealed elevated levels of heavy metal contamination in the soils of all outlying parcels. The exposure level is reported to be a moderate health risk to humans and animals. "The estimated cost of the above remediation of the industrial parcels in 2006 dollars is reported by the Town to be $24.2 million." LeftyThe man sitting at the middle desk was probably among the first generation who were allowed to write left-handed in grade school. By the 1940's schools realized that forcing us to use the right hand to write just wasn't worth the effort. In spite of dire predictions, we lefties did just fine in life using the "wrong" hand! The Organization MenThe lives of mid-century workers were parodied, analyzed, commented on and memorialized in such books and plays as "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit", "No Down Payment", "Death of a Salesman" and "The Affluent Society" as ones of drab conformity, living in the bland post-war suburbs with 2.3 children. Their only options were working for the corporation for 30-40 years, then retiring with a gold watch and pension, in retrospect not a bad prospect compared to today. Still own some of that stuffThe Scotch tape dispenser, the chrome stapler, the two-hole punch -- all familiar to anyone whose dad was an office worker back then. I even have one of those Spacesaver phones, though that was an estate-sale acquisition. A venerable staplerIn 1965 Rohm and Haas moved its headquarters from its Washington Square to a new building on Independence Mall a few blocks away. My Aunt Patsy was secretary to Dr. Haas. The company got all new equipment, so, among other things, Aunt Patsy gave me a stapler identical to the one pictured second from right. I still use it in my office. Aircraft Recognition 101For David in Leicest and Shorpy fans, the partially seen aircraft by the wall on the middle desk is a Vought F7U Cutlass. If the M-3 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot from Lost in Space would see that aircraft it would say "Danger Will Robinson." It was not good to Navy pilots. Somewhere in this viewThere must be a squeeze tube of mucilage. CalculatorLooks like a Friden electromechanical calculator on the desk below the map. They add, subtract, multiply, divide and some can even calculate square roots! All those rotating dials and gears inside make a racket when it gets going. Stylin'Nothing quite says "mid-50's middle management" like a short-sleeved white shirt and necktie. Ah, ledger booksOld fashioned accounting: control/summary page(s) in front followed by the individual account pages. Takes me back to EI duPont's Operative Earnings department in 1962. RecycledThere isn't a single piece of office furniture in this picture that I have not run across at Goodwill during my frequent trips there in the past 10 years. Swingline?Could that be a Swingline Stapler made in Long Island City? (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, The Office)
Sausalito: 1958
... to the P1800 of 1962. And a Volvo dealer, Volvoville on Long Island, NY, later converted a few P1800 coupes into convertibles, but ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 07/25/2012 - 8:30pm -

The yacht harbor in Sausalito, California, shot on Anscochrome circa 1958. I believe this is on Richardson Bay, with Belvedere Point in the background. There are some pretty interesting cars in in this shot, including the mysterious little European-looking thing on the far right. View full size. SausalitoI believe the "European-looking thing" is an American-made Crosley van. The near ridge is indeed Belvedere Island; beyond that, Tiburon Peninsula. I looked for our 1956 Rambler wagon, but no such luck. [Edited to reflect correction of reversed image.] Re: BabushkaSo did my Mom's side, all first or second generation California-Italian, despite "Babushka" being Grandmother in Russian... DaveB Many, many more boatsA contemporary view of the same parking lot (courtesy of Google Earth) reveals the 1958 photo was taken at approximately 517 Bridgeway in Sausalito. Landscaping has softened the edges of the dirt parking lot (originally a train yard for Northwestern Pacific Railroad) and the number of pleasure craft has exploded, but the small sheds lining the pier have remained pretty much unchanged. Impala, SchmimpalaDustyrider said: "Super Sport Chevrolets until 1961." Ummm, no. The Impala was introduced, as the top of the line Chevrolet, in 1958. [Confusion arises because he split his sentence between the title and the body of the comment. He was attempting to say "There were no Impala Super Sport Chevrolets until 1961." - tterrace] Bob Bourke MasterpieceAlthough the pictured Studebaker design came out of the Raymond Loewy studio, it was created by Bob Bourke, with help from several other guys. Loewy normally gets the credit for this landmark Studie, but the design was not his. Regarding Babushka Lady, does anyone else see a hint of 58 Mercury in the image? Notice that the wing configuration fits a full panoramic windshield, something none of the Chrysler products ever had. The bodywork on the humble 51 Nash is definitely not the work of George Barris. First girlfriend's carThat Chevrolet in the third row on the right side looks like the 53 model that my older woman (17) girlfriend picked me up in. English FordI recognized the green import center front as an English Ford. I remember seeing them back when my mother drove me around in our black 1959 Chevy Impala Super Sport. Sausalito TodayI decided to take a quick ride down to Sausalito and see if I could replicate the image from 1958. I think I got pretty close, and the changes can be seen. Another European beautyI'm pretty sure the rightmost car on the third row is a Citroen DS. Not an Anglia?Not sure if its an Anglia looks more like this a 1952 Consul love the cars!I see a Willys-Overland Jeep Station Sedan! Changing face of the US auto marketIn addition to that green Ford Consul and yellow Crosley, I see a blue-green Renault Dauphine next to a Cadillac in the second row, and a VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia in the back row, facing away from the viewer. Still a number of US independents to be seen, in the form of Nash/Ramblers and that lovely black '55 Studebaker hardtop in front of the Consul. Negative flippedNo one has mentioned that the negative has been flipped here. Notice all the steering wheels are on the wrong side. I want that black Studebaker! [Wow, extreme blushes from a Marin County native here! It's been fixed, thanks! - tterrace] Hey! Look for me in the Bay area, 1958I'll be in the VW Bus, California tag #PVD 799. Summer nights?Hot summer night in Sausalito Can't stand the heat another mile Let's drop a quarter in the meter And hit the sidewalk for a while --"Sausalito Summer Night" Diesel, c. 1981 It's a CrosleyA Crosley Panel Truck 1959 or 1960 perhapsI believe I see a 1959 Chevy in the last row, facing the gent walking on the dock. Little European thingsQuite a few of 'em, actually. Above the Crosley is a Citroen; right in the middle (above the1955 Studebaker Commander Coupe with its, ahem,"European Styling") is a Renault Dauphine; to the left is a black VW Beetle, and above it a black-over-red VW Karmann Ghia. There's also some convertible in the middle of the far row that look vaguely English next to another Bug and to its left, something I'd almost swear was a Volvo PV544. Yep, there's also a '59 Chevy, but it's no Impala. P.S. I'm told the translation for Reanault Dauphine is, "I rust." Bound for TahitiAll this talk of cars overlooks a much more significant element to this photo. The large, two-masted schooner at the outermost dock is Sterling Hayden's Wanderer. Hayden was a major Hollywood heartthrob at the time, but in 1958 he got fed up with the system and walked out on it all. In violation of studio contracts and a court-ordered divorce decree, he sailed off to Tahiti with his four kids on Wanderer. The voyage formed the central thread of the autobiography he published five years later, titled "Wanderer." This photo must have been taken very shortly before he left. He was not some impulsive pleasure boater though. Hayden had been a sea captain for a long time before falling into Hollywood in the first place. He was frequently canonized as an independent man who didn't care what anybody else thought of him and did not get along with the Hollywood system. But his autobiography paints a much deeper, somewhat sadder picture of a man who never seemed to quite find what he was looking for. He continued to live in Sausalito for a long time later in life. It's quite likely one of the cars in the foreground of the photo was his, but I don't know what he drove. Re Hayden, Studebakers, and Precious Bodily FluidsSterling Hayden had an exceedingly interesting life (actor, author, sailor, model, Marine, OSS agent) and I urge everyone to read the Wiki on him. As General Jack Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove", his character's concern for precious bodily fluids helped set the tone for that film's zany atmosphere. Regarding Studebakers, I sure can relate to the one in this photo because half a century ago the one below (a '54 Starliner) was mine, properly dechromed, lowered and with the anemic stock engine replaced with a Chevy V-8. I was only two years old, of course, so reaching the pedals was a chore. More carsA red '53(?) Ford F100 in the row nearest the camera, behind it a '58 or '59 Lincoln, to the left is a '58 Chrysler Imperial. In the row near the water, on the right, a '53 Buick Roadmaster parked at an angle. One row closer and a bit left, a '56 Plymouth. Now my eyes are tired. So many cars!Thanks to Shorpy viewers, the only three vehicles I couldn't make out were identified (the Crosley Van, English Ford, and the Volvo convertible). I was proud to be able to name all of the rest of them, but I won't bore everyone with a recitation of their makes here, unless someone wants to twist my arm! The English Ford was truly a California carMy Dad was a Ford employee for years, so when I began to drive in the early 1960's he bought me a used Ford Anglia for a few hundred dollars. When I started college in 1965, I purchased a used Anglia station wagon with real wood trim. They were great little cars as long as the temperature was above 28 degrees. Unfortunately Michigan gets much colder in the winter. The starting system didn't have the snap at lower temperatures to start the engine. AAA finally cut me off from road service on the car because of too many push starts. Push it up to 10 mph and pop the clutch and it would start no matter what the temperature. Both had manifold vacuum operated windshield wipers which slowed down when you went up a hill or did a hard acceleration. Both also had the old vacuum tube radios which used a vibrator power supply to boost the 12 volts to the necessary higher voltages. The radio took about 25 seconds to warm up. I still can remember the buzz the vibrator made. I still wonder today what possessed me to buy the second Anglia. Hayden the WandererCarl H's identification of Sterling Hayden's yacht has to earn the noticing prize for July, even among the Shorpy eagle eyes. Hayden's unhappiness circa 1958 had another source: in 1951 he "named names" before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ever after he expressed "contempt for myself since the day I did that." Tahiti turned out not to be far enough away. Happily, over the last quarter century of his life, he regularly allowed himself to be lured out of "retirement" to make movies. This gave us General Jack Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove" and the crooked Captain McCluskey in "The Godfather." Miles and Miles of Memories HereThere are lots of childhood memories amid that parking lot. When my dad tired of waiting six weeks for penny ante parts from Coventry, England for our Jaguar Mark VII, he bought a '55 Studebaker coupe in two-tone blue. He loved it. I preferred the Jaguar and called our new main driver the "Stupidbaker". But looking at the one here, I can see why my father remained forever fond of it. And why he was annoyed when at age four, I let the air out of all the tires. We also had a '57 Chevy coupe and a '59 Impala station wagon that was our favorite family vacation car for many years, so much so that we bought another, identical in every detail and had two for many years. Our neighbor on one side had a Rambler like the one in the front row, but in metallic kelly green, and another neighbor had a Citreon, in white. Rode in them often enough. Interesting story about Hayden. I'd like to read that book. Thank you for mentioning it. There were no ImpalaSuper Sport Chevrolets until 1961. BabushkaAll the females in my household called the scarf the lady is wearing as she is getting in/out of the Dodge Wagon a babushka. Volvo ConvertibleAs a long time Volvo owner, not sure if Volvo ever sold a convertible in the US back then; the P1900 was built during this time period [67 built], but it was more of an experiment to test market reaction, it led to the P1800 of 1962. And a Volvo dealer, Volvoville on Long Island, NY, later converted a few P1800 coupes into convertibles, but without Factory blessing. That PV-544 might be a PV-444; if it's the car I think it is, you can't tell if the windshield is two piece [444] or one piece [544]. Great picture and interesting info about Hayden. The UK Ford......is in fact a 'Zephyr', the 6 cylinder big brother to the Consul. The Zephyr has a different front grill and hood and, unlike the Consul, has the chrome hood ornament that can just be seen in the photo. Also evident is the small chrome trim on the side fender just above the front wheel that was also not fitted to the Consul. I spent many an hour back in the day under the various products from Mr Ford, including these models. Thanks again Shorpy for my daily 'fix'! Punch Bug, Light BluePunch Bug, Light Blue! or is that Slug Bug? I never remember. LuxuryI love seeing the front of the Lincoln Continental and the rear of the Imperial. Both cars are showing off their most distinctive features. Sterling Hayden's addressSome are saying that Hayden lived in Sausalito. He had a magnificent old house on the very top of Belvedere Island south, a block away from my parents' after 1958. I remember our dogs didn't get along with his, not that he noticed. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Portrait of a Prodigy: 1933
... 10, whose mother is a church organist in Queens Village, Long Island, and whose father, Clemmett Birdsong Perkins, is Eastern Passenger ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 3:11pm -

Washington, D.C., 1933. "Miss Gloria Perkins, portrait." As a 10-year-old violin prodigy, Gloria played with the National Symphony Orchestra. View full size. Time for GloriaIt seems she made Time magazine back in the day. Gloria Perkins, 10, whose mother is a church organist in Queens Village, Long Island, and whose father, Clemmett Birdsong Perkins, is Eastern Passenger Agent for the Norfolk & Western Railway Co., played the Mendelssohn Concerto with the National Symphony in Washington. Gloria is a wispy little girl who wears big hair ribbons and oily black corkscrew curls. She took so long to tune her violin that the audience started to titter. But the feeling rapidly changed as the Concerto got under way. Gloria was not only technically expert but her playing had a simple persuasive quality that touched the audience deeply. Father and Mother Perkins are making a pianist of their son, Clemmett Birdsong Perkins Jr., 3. Little Girl BlueThe little details of her crucifix and ring make her look like she's posing for a communion picture with an incidental instrument. Not sure I would have appreciated the "oily black corkscrew" comment in Time. Her poor hair looks like it would really prefer to frizz and/or be left alone. Possibly like the girl herself; she looks a little sad. Young Soloist Washington Post, Nov 12, 1933 Child Artist Makes Debut at Symphony Young Soloist Will Play Mendelssohn Concerto This Afternoon Gloria Perkins, an exceptionally talented child violinist will maker her debut as an orchestral soloist in Washington this afternoon, playing a Mendelssohn Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Hans Kindler. She is a pupil of Louis Persinger, who succeeded Leopold Auer as head of the violin department of the Julliard Graduate School. Gloria was born ten years ago in Winston-Salem, N.C., and has lived in New York since she was 2. At the age of 4 she played the piano with surprising ability and when she was 6 she began the study of violin with her mother. Her progress was so remarkable that she was placed under the tutelage of Mr. Persinger who had instructed Yehudi Menuhin and Ruggiero Ricci. Gloria Perkins Returns to the StageN.Y. Times, September 25, 1972 Gloria Perkins, Violinist, Returns to Recital Stage The last time Gloria Perkins gave a solo recital in New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt was in his second term as President, and the violinist was a 12-year-old prodigy. Sunday afternoon she was welcomed back by a cordial audience that nearly filled Carnegie Recital Hall. Miss Perkins, who now lives and teaches in Queens, has much to offer as an artist. Her tone is firm and full, her intonation precise, she phrases musically, and her playing has an assertive energy that, when not pressed too relentlessly, produces performances of impressive impact ... The Wonder YearsWhenever I see this kind of portrait, I always wonder what became of the subject. There's something about this girl's face that especially leaves me filled with unnerving curiosity. The newspaper excerpts are very helpful, but I still wonder: did her parents push her? Did she continue to play? It says she didn't do her next solo again until '72, but did she play for a band? She would be about 86 now. I wonder if she's still alive. [The 1972 performance was her first solo recital in New York in many years. We don't know if she continued to give recitals elsewhere. - Dave] My Violin TeacherI began taking private lessons with Ms. Perkins when I was about 5 or 6 years old and continued through junior high school. She is 88 years old now and is still playing her violin. I grew up in Queens, NY and she still lives in the same house where I took lessons from her. After high school I stopped playing the violin but recently began to play again (I'm now 27). She lived with her brother who passed away, I think a few years ago. She still plays occasionally at weddings and churches and has a couple of students that she is still teaching! I moved away after high school to attend college and live out of state. However, I have family still in NY and decided to visit her my last trip up (last week). It has been probably since junior high school when I last saw her. She is an amazing woman and is still the exact same lady I remember growing up. A quintessential teacher, passionate about her first love and somebody who lights up a room. She would not let me leave without sifting through her music to find a copy of "Adoration" for me to play, as I mentioned to her I play weddings occasionally. I am a photographer now and took several photographs of her before I left. A part of me wishes I lived in NY so I could visit her and receive lessons again. An amazing woman. Your violin teacherWonderful! Thanks for the photo - this truly is a way to make the past come alive. Did you let her know about or show her her photo here on Shorpy and, if so, what was her reaction? Wonderful update from EricaThat brought a smile to my face. Thanks especially for the photograph! (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Music)
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